July 7, 2012
07/09/12 The Marshall County Solid Waster Management has taken yet another step to collect prescription and non-prescription medications so that they can be disposed of properly.
New bins for collections have been placed at the Marshall County Jail in Plymouth and at the Bremen and Culver Police Departments.
Mike Good, executive director of Solid Waste, said that in the past people were told to dispose of unwanted medications by flushing them down a commode. However, Plymouth Utilities Superintendent Donnie Davidson said medications should not be flushed. Davidson said, “Flushing unused prescription drugs is not recommended and should be disposed of at proper disposal facilities.” He added, “Conventional wastewater treatment facilities struggle in the complete removal of even minute quantities of drugs that could be present. The normal secretion of unused medications from the body is challenging enough without the addition of disposing of unused medications down the drain, which is controlled much easier at the source than through wastewater treatment.”
Residents can continue to take non-prescription (over the counter) and prescription medications that are not controlled substances to the Solid Waste site at 1900 Walter Glaub Drive. Collection of legal controlled medications over the past several years has been handled only one time annually at the Health Fair. Controlled drugs must be handled through law enforcement. The new collection bins in place mean that prescription medications of all types can be disposed throughout the year.
Good said that medications being disposed of in the new bins at the various police departments can be co-mingled and are not limited to just legal controlled drugs. He said, “We do ask that people are very cautious in disposing liquids by placing them in tight containers or self sealing plastic bags.”
Good indicted that a great number of the prescription medications that they handle are from family members who are disposing of medications after a death.
Marshall County Solid Waste Management (Recycle Depot) is open Tuesday though Friday from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. They are also open on the first Saturday of each month from 8:00 a.m. until noon. For more information on disposing of prescription medications or other items, call 935-8618.
Carol Anders Correspondent