Not only is dropping medicine off at a secure drop-box location beneficial to public health, it also helps the environment by keeping unused and expired medication out of landfills and out of Puget Sound.
Residents can take their unwanted medicines to pharmacies and law enforcement offices participating in King County’s Secure Medicine Return program to dispose of the medicines they no longer need. There is no cost to drop off unused medicine.
There are 99 secured drop-boxes installed and operational throughout King County. A full list of participating locations can be found here.
Taking unused, leftover medicines to a drop-box location can reduce the amount of medicines going to the environment:
Flushing—Flushing unwanted medicines down the toilet can send them into our environment affecting Puget Sound wildlife and the ecosystem. A reminder that human waste and toilet paper are the only things to flush. Nothing else belongs in the toilet!
Garbage—Medicines thrown in the garbage are chemically active and can also end up in the environment. Medicines found in the garbage by children or pets increase the risk of accidental poisonings.