Reuse & Recycle

Note: Medicine Disposal is not available at SCARCE. Please see list below for locations.

How Do I Dispose of Old or Unwanted Medicine?

Fish Pharm, shows concentrations of medicine found in fish from the north branch of the Chicago River. Source: National Geographic Magazine, April 2010

Don’t Rush to Flush!

Evidence shows that flushing medicines down the toilet pollutes our waterways, including those we use for drinking water. “Don’t rush to flush!” is the new mantra.

To protect water quality and public safety, medicines should be taken for disposal at a verified collection site. Learn more about the importance of safe medicine disposal here.

What happens to the medicine?

Collected medicine is incinerated. This process destroys the active ingredients. Though not ideal for air quality, it is the best option currently available.

How to dispose of medicine

Medicine that is no longer needed can be disposed of at a number of locations in DuPage County. You may find a full list below.

Empty all the pills into a ziplock bag. Liquid medicine should stay in the original container and be enclosed in a separate ziploc bag. Empty bottles or containers can be disposed of separately (and may be recyclable). Collection sites have limited space and need to prioritize disposal of medicines – not packaging.

Accepted Items

Items Not Accepted

sharps/needles, mercury thermometers, bio-hazardous materials (wound dressings), radioactive medicines, other household wastes, medical wastes from businesses

Police Stations with Collections

This list of DuPage County police stations changes frequently as the program expands. Be sure to check with your local station to find out if they have a collection.

Medicine collection programs in DuPage County were started by SCARCE with support from the DuPage Foundation.

Download the Eco-Cheat Sheet for a hard copy of this info as well as SCARCE collections, cooking oil recycling locations, and household hazardous waste disposal.