Medication and Sharps Take-Back Program
Information Brochure
Drop Off Sites:
Grundy County Coroner’s Office 
1320 Union Street
Morris, IL 60450
Coal City Pharmacy
175 South Broadway Street
Coal City, IL 60416
Morris Police Department
200 East Chapin Street
Morris, IL 60450
Minooka Police Department
121 McEvilly Road
Minooka, IL
Please be aware that all labels from medications will be destroyed and the bottles recycled through the
Grundy County Coroner’s Take-Back Program.
Why is Medicine Disposal a Concern?
The Three Main Hazards Are:
- Possible poisoning from accidental ingestion, particularly among young children and pets, if medicines are thrown in the trash.
- Illegal use or theft, including identity theft from discarded containers providing personal patient information.
- Contamination of water resources, which can result in reproductive and developmental problems in fish and other aquatic wildlife if medicines are flushed or placed in the trash.
How do Pharmaceuticals Enter the Environment?
Pharmaceuticals have been found primarily in discharge from wastewater treatment plants and surface waters. Pharmaceuticals are also released into waterways via runoff from commercial animal feeding operations and aquaculture and from fields where manure and bio solids have been applied.
Expired or unwanted medicines, if flushed down the toilet or drain, are a source of pollution in wastewater. Because sewage treatment plants are not designed to deal with drugs, these chemicals can be released into streams, lakes and groundwater and affect fish and other aquatic wildlife.
You might imagine that any substance safe enough for humans and pets to ingest as medication can’t cause environmental harm. However, that may not be the case. If our medicines are reaching streams, rivers and lakes, organisms living in these habitats may be continuously exposed to these drugs. Some aquatic organisms living in waters downstream from wastewater treatment plants are showing signs of developmental and reproductive problems. Researchers are working to determine whether pharmaceuticals are causing these effects.
Disposal Dos and Don’ts
Do:
- Return unwanted/expired medicines to pharmacies and other locations participating in take-back programs.
- Bring only residentially generated medication items.
- Please follow directions at the drop-off site. Only give medications to the pharmacy or drop-off site personnel.
- This is not a share or reuse opportunity. All medications received will be destroyed in the most environmentally sound manner possible.
- Bring Sharps in Appropriate Containers
Do Not:
- Flush down the sink drain or toilet.
- Place in the trash.
- Give or sell to others.
ITEMS ACCEPTED:
Expired or Unwanted:
Prescription Medications
Over-the-Counter Prescriptions
Medicated Ointments
Medicated Shampoos
Liquids Containing Medications
Prescription Inhalers
Over-the-Counter Inhalers
Sharps in Pro
ITEMS NOT ACCEPTED:
Radioactive Materials
Other Household Wastes