Illinois EPA encourages residents to safely dispose of unused medication for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

SPRINGFIELD —Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director Alec Messina today announced the designation of nearly 100 medication collection locations throughout the State. Illinois EPA dedicated $1 million dollars to fund the drug collection, which is among the highest of any state environmental Agency in the nation. National Drug Take Back Day is scheduled for Saturday, October 27, and Illinois residents are encouraged to properly dispose of any unused prescription drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, homeopathic remedies and pet medications this week.

“Illinois EPA is committed to the proper disposal of unused medications not only for the protection of the environment, but also to aid communities in the fight against opioid abuse,” said Illinois EPA Director Alec Messina. “The Illinois EPA Medication Takeback Program has dedicated the funds needed for communities to partner with the Agency and become a valuable resource for our residents.”

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A complete list of the community partners is attached or can be found on the Illinois EPA website at: https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/topics/waste-management/waste-disposal/medication-disposal/Pages/default.aspx. The nearly 100 collection sites across the state will serve over 10 million residents. A mapping tool is also under development to allow residents to easily identify nearby collection sites. Residents are encouraged to use the identified collection sites this week to help ensure the safe disposal of collected medications. Individuals should contact their collection location to confirm availability as not all locations will be open on Saturday.

This improper disposal of unused or unwanted medications creates the potential for harmful chemicals to end up in lakes, rivers, streams and groundwater. For this reason, the EPA is reminding Illinoisans that the medications should always be used as directed and stored properly to avoid accidental poisoning or other complications. They should NOT be flushed down the toilet or poured into a sink.

Additional information on the safe disposal of medicine and a list of existing collection locations can be found at the above referenced link. A complete list of Illinois EPA’s 2018-2019 Medication Takeback Program participants is attached.

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