Well, I've certainly had those thoughts. So a few weeks ago I went to the police station and dropped off a bag full of half-used medicines and supplements that have been sitting around the house for a long time. I hadn't known what to do with them. If I flushed them down the toilet I figured it wouldn't be too good for the fish (and for the people who eat the fish!); if I put them in the garbage they'd end up in a landfill and that didn't seem good either. I had heard that pharmacies will take them, but I just never got around to checking that out.
When I learned that the Stanwood Police Station was a part of a pilot program, offering a drop-off spot for old meds, and that there were several other locations around the county that were also accepting them on a certain Saturday, I collected mine from cupboards in the bathrooms and kitchen and trotted them into town.
Police Chief Trenary was there to process my donation. A green locked box, a little smaller than a corner mailbox, had already been filled and he was filling an additional box with the overflow. Saturday's business was brisk; since the program began in December of 2009, they usually fill the drug box once a month. Pretty good for a new program in a small town.
Before you empty your old medicines down the drain or into the garbage, why don't you see if there might be a similar program in your area? If there is no such program, you might check out this website and get some pointers.
No comments:
Post a Comment