Prescription Disposal RxBOX – Where to Discard Medications

medication drop off box rxbox dupage

Have you ever wondered what to do with a left-over or out-dated prescription? Where should you throw medications away?

By now, you may have already learned that it is not a wise idea to discard unused prescription medications in your trash. Many prescription medications can be harmful to the environment and wildlife that make their way into local landfills. I was always told to flush them down the toilet, but doing that may have even worse environmental implications.

Recent studies and testing have shown trace amounts of medications have made their way into local lakes, streams, and even municipal water supplies. Clearly, flushing medication is not the way to go. So where do we dispose of these potentially harmful drugs?

In 2009, the DuPage County Health Department initiated a program supplying RxBOX medication collection boxes to a network of local police stations throughout DuPage County. Since the program began two years ago, more than 10,000 pounds of medications have been collected for proper disposal. That is five TONS of potentially harmful drugs that have been kept from damaging our environment and water supply. Once collected, the medications are safely incinerated by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).

Any type of medication can be disposed of at an RxBOX (over-the-counter medications and prescription medications).

medication drop off box rxbox dupageHere is a list of RxBoX collection locations in DuPage County:

  • Addison Police Department
    1 Friendship Plaza, Addison, IL 60101
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  • Bloomingdale Police Department
    2015 Bloomingdale Road, Bloomingdale, IL 60108
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  • Burr Ridge Police Department
    7660 S. County Line Road #1, Burr Ridge, IL 60527
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  • Carol Stream Police Department
    500 N. Gary Avenue, Carol Stream, IL 60188
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  • DuPage County Sheriff
    501 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187
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  • Glendale Heights Police Department
    300 Civic Plaza, Glendale Heights, IL 60139
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  • Lemont Police Department
    416 Main Street, Lemont, IL 60439
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  • Lisle Police Department
    5040 Lincoln Avenue, Lisle, IL 60532
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  • Oak Brook Police Department
    1200 Oak Brook Road, Oak Brook, IL 60521
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  • Schaumburg Police Department
    1000 W. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg, IL 60194
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  • Wheaton Police Department
    900 W. Liberty Drive, Wheaton, IL 60187
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  • Wood Dale Police Department
    404 N. Wood Dale Road, Wood Dale, IL 60191

Please take the time to do the right thing, and properly dispose of your unused medications. It DOES make a difference!