Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks today announced that the County Department of Environmental Services (DES) and Wegmans are partnering to expand the County’s award-winning pharmaceutical collection program. Monroe County and Wegmans will hold a free pharmaceutical waste collection on Saturday, August 15th, 2009 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Penfield Wegmans on 2157 Penfield Road.
“These pharmaceutical collections give Monroe County residents a chance to safely discard unused and/or expired prescription and over-the-counter medications,” said Brooks. “These drop-offs also show how the County and its partners are working together in a secure and environmentally friendly manner as we keep potentially harmful pharmaceuticals out of our landfills and water supply.”
No appointments are needed for the pharmaceutical waste collection. Residents are asked to black out any personal information (not the medication name or dosage) on their prescription containers. All collected medications will be destroyed by an incineration process administered by Sheriff’s Deputies.
Recent national studies show that pharmaceuticals that are flushed down the drain may potentially harm the soil and/or water supply. While water provided by the Monroe County Water Authority has been shown to be free of these contaminants, residents are encouraged to properly dispose of medications. Plus, storing unwanted or expired drugs in homes may increase the risk of accidental poisoning. Experts also note that medicines thrown in the trash can be taken by anyone and later sold in the street and used.
“Wegmans is pleased to partner with the County to hold a free pharmaceutical collection,” said Wegmans Pharmacist Rosanna Carbone. “We hope that this event will raise awareness among our customers that you should not simply throw away or flush medicines. The safest option is to bring them to a pharmaceutical collection program where they can be properly destroyed.”
In addition to the pharmaceutical waste collection at the Penfield Wegmans; there are several other drop-offs scheduled throughout the County:
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Saturday, August 22nd, 2009 at the Mill Seat Landfill in Riga
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Saturday, September 12th, 2009 at the Sweden Department of Public Works
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Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 at the Webster Wastewater Treatment Plant
All collections are free and open to the public. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Monroe County Water Authority and Center for Environmental Information also participate in the County’s pharmaceutical waste collections. Waste from pharmacies, veterinary offices and pharmaceutical businesses is not accepted. For more information, call the Monroe County DES at 753-7600 (option #3).
In April, the Monroe County DES received a 2009 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Quality Award for its pharmaceutical waste collection program. The EPA applauded the County for its commitment to protecting and enhancing our area’s environmental quality.
Monroe County has also assisted other communities across the state with their pharmaceutical waste collections. The County DES provides a guidebook to other municipalities which includes contacts, advertising samples and event preparation tips and procedures.