How to recycle/dispose of medicine / prescription drugs

Curbside collection: Weekly - trash
County facilities accepting medicine / prescription drugs:
None

Dispose of medicine in trash

You may put medicine which is expired or no longer needed into the regular household trash. Special disposal as household hazardous waste is not necessary. Please do not dispose of medicine by pouring it down the drain or into a toilet (unless the label or patient instructions specifically advise this).

1. Place unwanted or expired medication into a sealable plastic bag or other empty container to prevent liquid medications from leaking out.
2. Mix with kitty litter, coffee grounds or sawdust. (Liquid medications can be solidified using kitty litter or sawdust.)
3. Seal the bag and/or container.
4. Crush pills or tablets.
5. Put the bag and/or container containing the medication into your regular household trash.
6. Remove the label with the patient's name from the original medicine vial or bottle.
7. Place the empty plastic vial or bottle into your blue recycling bin. Empty aerosol inhalers can be recycled in our blue recycling bin, too.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that a very small list of extremely powerful narcotic pain relievers and other controlled substances should be disposed by flushing them down the toilet if these drugs cannot be disposed of through a drug take-back program.
View current FDA list.

The Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services accepts medications disposed of as trash as described above and encourages residents to utilize the periodic drug take-back programs sponsored by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Information about such events will be posted on the Division’s website as it becomes available.

• How to dispose of unused medicines - United States Food and Drug Administration fact sheet
• SMARxT Disposal Campaign - video instructions and downloadable education materials
• DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative

Donate medicine for reuse

Some organizations accept unused medicine. The medicine they collect is then sent to clinics in other countries. Check our "Use It Again" guide for medicine recycler listings.

Montgomery County has compiled this listing through various sources and does not present it as a complete directory of all organizations or companies, nor offer it as an endorsement of any of the organizations.

Find medicine recyclers

1. Select the "Medicine & Medical Equipment" category
2. Click on "Donate/Recycle it"
3. Then, click the "Start your search!" button.

"How to recycle/dispose of..." Index

This information last updated 4/29/2013.