Every year, we’re reminded to reduce, reuse, and recycle. But one category of waste often flies under the radar, and that’s medical waste, particularly medications, prescription bottles, and medication packaging. These everyday items are essential to our health, but when we’re done with them, they can wreak havoc on our environment if not disposed of properly. 

If you’ve ever looked at an empty orange pill bottle, a foil blister pack, or a bottle of expired medication and thought, “What do I do with this?”, you’re not alone. Between vague recycling rules, safety concerns, and a lack of clear instructions, it can be hard to determine what to do.  

We can’t ignore how important it is to reduce our medical waste and find ways to recycle our pill bottles and safely dispose of medications. 

We’ve all had them—expired antibiotics, leftover painkillers, or meds we stopped taking. But what do you do with them when you’re done? 

Don’t Flush Them 

Flushing unused meds may seem like a quick fix, but as we’ve seen, it’s dangerous. Pharmaceutical compounds can pass through water treatment systems and end up in our drinking water. 

Use Drug Take-Back Programs 

The best option is an authorized medication disposal program. These programs keep drugs out of landfills and water systems while preventing misuse. 

Options Include: 

• National Prescription Drug Take Back Day – Held by the DEA every spring and fall. You can find many collection sites across the U.S. 
• Local hospitals and clinics – Major locations often have secure drop-off boxes. 
• Police departments or health departments – Many local agencies have 24/7 disposal boxes in their lobbies. 

Mail-Back Programs 

Some areas offer prepaid mail-back envelopes for medications, often available at pharmacies or through state-run programs. This is especially helpful if you live in a rural area. 

When disposing of medications, always remove personal information from bottles, even if they’re going in a secure bin. 

What happens to medications once you send them off? 

Collected medications are typically incinerated at high temperatures in regulated facilities that meet environmental standards. This method completely destroys the active ingredients and packaging, preventing them from entering ecosystems or being used illegally. In some programs, controlled substances are logged and secured under DEA protocols before destruction to ensure accountability and safety. 

At-Home Disposal Methods

If take-back or mail-back programs aren’t available, there are safe ways to dispose of medications at home. The FDA recommends mixing unused pills (not controlled substances) with an undesirable substance like coffee grounds, cat litter, or dirt, sealing them in a bag or container, and placing them in your household trash.  

This makes the medication less appealing to children, pets, or anyone who may go through trash. It’s also important to remove or scratch out personal information from prescription labels before discarding bottles to protect your privacy. Keep in mind that only certain drugs appear on the FDA “flush list,” which is reserved for medications that could pose an immediate danger if accidentally ingested—otherwise, avoid flushing to protect water systems.