| Unwanted or expired medication should not be thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet. Medication that ends up in the landfill or is flushed down the toilet contaminates the soil and groundwater, and ultimately contaminates our drinking water and food. The drop-off program can alleviate some of that pollution. Another reason for the program is for the seniors in the county. Proper disposal at one of the convenient drop-off sites listed below decreases the likelihood of anyone taking a wrong or outdated medication by mistake. “Removing unwanted medications from the homes of our citizens will greatly reduce the risk of abuse by our youth and safeguard the public health” noted Sheriff Warren E. Rupf. |  |
Pharmacy Take-Back Programs
Check with your pharmacy to see if it offers a take-back program for
your non-controlled* (non-narcotic) drugs.
|
Pharmaceutical
Collection Sites Open in Central County To ensure privacy, anyone dropping off medicines should put pills into a sealable plastic bag. Seal bottled liquids in a plastic bag to prevent spills. Items NOT accepted include needles, lancets, pen needles or any other "sharps", aerosol cans, bloody or infectious wastes, hydrogen peroxide, thermometers, and IV bags. |
|
 |
All three collection sites below are open on Monday
through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Contra Costa Regional Medical Center -
Sheriff’s Substation Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Field Operations
Building Walnut Creek City Hall
|
Household Hazardous Waste Facilities in
East & Waste County
Must be a resident or qualified small business in specified
portion of County to use these facilities (e.g. must be resident or
qualified small business in West County to use West County Facility). Click
the appropriate link below for information regarding the communities served and
the hours of operation at the facility serving your area.
East
County Facility *
2550 Pittsburg-Antioch Highway, Antioch
(925) 756-1990
West
County Facility *
101 Pittsburg Ave., Richmond
(888) 412-9277
Free Pharmaceutical Drop-Off Event
The Kensington Fire Protection District's Paramedic/EMT Program will be
accepting unwanted medication to Fire Station #65 (at 217 Arlington Avenue in
Kensington) for one-day only on Saturday, February 28, from 12 noon to 4:00
p.m. Controlled substances* will not
be accepted at this special one-day event. For more information, contact
staff at the Kensington Fire Station during business hours at (510) 527-8395.
| *
CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES: These facilities are not able to accept
controlled substances (narcotics and those with potential for
addiction/abuse) as classified by the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration. For a list of medications not accepted during the event,
check the US DEA website at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/alpha/alphabetical.htm. Commercial medical waste disposal services available from Stericycle Medical Waste Services. |
 |
Complete listing of all Household
Hazardous Wastes and other materials
For listings of local facilities,
collection services or mail-back programs that accept other
materials,
use our:
- new Search feature,
- alphabetic list of all categories or product/ material types.
 |
TO CONTACT US: |
|