Disposing old, excess medicine requires care

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For the disposal of unwanted medications at home never flush expired or unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications down the toilet or other drain. Although flushing prevents accidental ingestion or misuse, it causes contamination of Maine’s aquatic environment. Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove many of these medications.

If your community burns its trash, dispose of all prescription medications in the trash. Follow guidelines to do so:

. Keep the medicines in their original containers. This will help identify the contents if they are accidentally swallowed.

. Black out your name and prescription number for safety.

. For pills, add water or soda to dissolve them.

. For liquids, add something inedible like cat litter, dirt, coffee grounds or pepper.

. Close the lid and secure with tape.

. Place the bottle inside an opaque, burnable container like a plastic bottle. Tape that container closed.

. Hide the container in the trash. Do not put in the recycle bin.

Eighty percent of Maine communities burn their trash. The temperature of Maine’s three waste-to-energy incineration plants is high enough to break down medicines and personal care products and render them harmless to the environment.

If your community does not burn its trash, do not dispose of any prescription medication in the trash.

Talk to your pharmacist, doctor, police department or state legislator about how to dispose of unused medications. Inquire about the return-by-mail program organized by the Maine Center for Aging at www.mainecenteronaging.org.

New recommendations will be forthcoming this year for those who live in communities that do not burn their trash.

Maine is currently a leader in thinking about the issue of disposing of unwanted medications.

Dr. Geoff Gratwick is chairman of the Bangor Recycling Committee.