Unused Medication Disposal

Green-minded folk will often talk about the waste reduction hierarchy - reduce, reuse, and recycle. But there are some things for which disposal is the only real option. Unused or expired medication is one of those things. If you check the shelves of your bathroom cabinets, you will likely find some medication which went unused and is either unwanted or expired. The question is how to safely dispose of that medication so that it doesn't cause harm to either people or the environment.

National Take-Back Initiative

Enter the US Drug Enforcement Agency and their national initiative to take-back unused medication on Saturday September 25, 2010. Visit their special web page here and read the details of the program.

If you miss this opportunity, you may still be able to drop off your medications for proper disposal. You can check with your local solid waste agency, for example - they may have special dates set aside for expired medication (see Louisville, KY's page here).

There are also sites that provide information on how to safely dispose of unused or expired medication, including the SMARxT Disposal site. As always, education is key to helping eliminate or reduce environmental problems.

Problem Meds

There are a number of issues with just tossing meds (including over the counter meds) into the trash or flushing them down the toilet. Medication that is not properly disposed of can be pulled out of trash containers and eaten by animals or children, causing harm or death (in extreme cases). Unused medication can also be used as an illegal drug - a form of drug abuse that can impact people of all ages, including teens. Medication that is flushed into the sewer can be carried into local bodies of water, where it has the potential to impact plants and animals.

So when you get ready to do your fall clean-up, don't forget about your medicine cabinet. Make sure that unused and expired medication is disposed of properly!

Park(ing) Day 2010!

Back in 2005, a design firm conducted a small experiment. They paid for one day at a parking space in downtown San Francisco and converted the space into a temporary mini-park. Every year since, groups in other cities have done the same thing - converting space once reserved for cars into a small space for people. You can check out the Par(ing) Day website here (I recommend watching the what it's all about video).

As more people move into urban settings, there will be many more discussions about how to ensure that the land area of the city is optimized for all of the citizens. Given the current transportation system and our culture, there will always be a need to have space set aside for motor vehicles. But, there are also good reasons to take back some of that space and set it aside for non-car uses - whether as bike lanes, walking spaces, urban parks or commercial/retail area (like Louisville's Fourth Street Live). A great place to see some of these ideas in action is via Streetfilms.org.

And there are many good reasons to ensure that the use of urban space is balanced and not solely dedicated for motor vehicles:

• Plants and trees help reduce what is known as the "heat island effect" and can help lower urban temperatures in the summer
• Plants and trees help reduce problems associated with stormwater, like capturing pollutants and preventing surges at treatment plants
• Providing safe bike lanes encourages more bicycle ridership - benefits include better health and reduced pollution from motor vehicles

If you live in an urgan area, I encourage you to get involved and help transform the urban space around you into a place you want to live. Talk to your neighbors, learn the issues, talk with your elected officials and participate by voting! You won't get anywhere sitting still...