Happy World Health Day - a great day to check your old medication
Since 1948, April 7 has been designated as World Health Day. It's a day that brings awareness to medical issues worldwide.
OC Waste & Recycling encourages you to use the day to check the status of your prescriptions and over-the-counter medications and properly dispose of those that are expired or unused. Properly disposing of expired and unused medications is very important to prevent ingestion by others and to keep it out of local waters.
Medications can be thrown away. Here's what to do and what not to do:
DO NOT
- Flush down the toilet
- Put in the garbage disposal
- Pour down your drain
DO
- Place pills or liquids in a sealable bag with hot water
- Add kitty litter or old coffee grounds
- Seal bag; place it in your trash bin
If you choose to not throw away your medications, there are various drop-off locations offered throughout Orange County.
Also, know what to do with sharps, which are devices or objects with corners, edges or projections capable of cutting or piercing skin or regular waste bags. For example, injection needles and razor blades. Sharps are considered household hazardous waste and should be dealt with carefully. These do not belong in the trash. All four Orange County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers accept sharps. When taking sharps to an HHW Collection Center, place them in a container with a firmly capped lid to prevent any material from falling out.
For more information, visit our website at oclandfills.com. Follow us on social media @ocwaste for more recycling and waste management tips.
