
Unwanted Medicine
Looking to do your part in helping protect our waterways? Help keep our drains drug free!
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) encourages you to Think Inside the Box. Safe drug disposal means safe water. Gather your unused and expired medications and dispose of them in one of our permanent drug collection boxes. The 38-gallon Medsafe drug collection boxes are located near the main gate at three water reclamation plants (WRP) and in the lobby of the Main Office Building in Chicago. If a box is locked, please return during hours of operation. Do not leave medication outside the box.
Main Office Building, 100 E. Erie St., Chicago, Mon. – Fri. from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Calumet WRP, 400 E. 130th St., Chicago, 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
O’Brien WRP, 3500 Howard St., Skokie, 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Stickney WRP, 6001 W. Pershing Rd., Cicero, 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
To read more about our unwanted medication collection program, visit here.
Every day the average adult uses nine personal care products containing 126 unique compounds that could end up in our water. In addition, to traces of products like shampoo, toothpaste, perfume, sunscreens and cosmetics, minute amounts of prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs enter our water. The release of unused pharmaceuticals or over-the-counter and prescription drugs into the sanitary sewerage system has particularly harmful impact on our waterways. Whenever possible, it’s important to properly dispose of those products. Controlling what goes down the drain is the easiest and most effective way to protect the environment.
Pharmaceuticals entering the MWRD water reclamation plants (WRP) can navigate through the water treatment plants and enter Chicago Area Waterways, thus impacting the treatment plants, then fish and plant-life and our groundwater and waterways.
Working with the medical community, government agencies and the general public, the MWRD has sought ways to reduce the release of pharmaceutical waste into the environment and alert you at home not to flush unused medications down the drain, nor toss expired drugs in the garbage. Prevention today will lead to a safer tomorrow. Instead of tossing in the garbage or down the drain, you can visit household hazardous waste disposal events or participate in unused drug collection days.
There are many ways to reduce the amount of pharmaceuticals before they reach treatment facilities and/or the waterways. The first is to complete the course of treatment as prescribed by the physician. For over-the-counter products, monitor your supply and store them in one location at home to prevent the purchase of additional or extras. Once the pharmaceuticals are in your home, never pour them down the toilet or drain and never give or sell them to others. In addition to the Medsafe boxes the MWRD offers, the city of Chicago collects unwanted medicines 24 hour per day, seven days per week at all of its police facilities. For more information about pharmaceuticals in the waterways or to find out more about proper disposal of medical and hazardous wastes, visit http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/. As part of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, the MWRD has collected nearly 1,000 pounds of drugs in recent years. If you can’t participate in a Drug Take-Back Day or make it into the MWRD facilities, there are still several locations that are open year-round.
See our list below or visit the following sites for more information:
Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County Pharmaceutical/Sharps Disposal
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Medication and Sharps Disposal
Cook County Sheriff’s Office Drug Collection Partnership
Additional Pharmaceutical Disposal Locations in Cook County | |
Arlington Heights Police Station 200 E Sigwalt Street (847) 368-5300 Open 24/7 NO SHARPS |
Maywood Courthouse (Dropbox) 1500 Maybrook Dr. (708) 865-6029 Monday through Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. No liquid forms of medication accepted. |
Barrington Public Safety Building |
Morton Grove Civic Center 6140 Dempster St. (847) 470-5223 By appointment only |
Bartlett Village Hall 228 S Main Street (630) 837-0800 Last Saturday of the month: 9 a.m. to noon Sharps accepted, but must be deposited by individuals. Staff will not touch needles. |
Mount Prospect Public Works 1700 W. Central Rd. (847) 870-5640 Monday through Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Original containers with labels, no narcotics, no liquids |
Bridgeview Courthouse (Dropbox) 10220 S. 76th Ave. (708) 974-6810 Monday through Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. No liquid forms of medication accepted. |
Niles Police Department (Dropbox) 7000 W. Touhy Ave. (847) 588-6500 Medications only: Open 24/7. No syringes, no liquids |
Buffalo Grove Police Station Open 24/7 NO SHARPS |
Niles Senior Center 999 Civic Center Dr. (847) 588-8420 By appointment only |
Burr Ridge Police Station 7700 County Line Rd. (630) 654-8181 Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. No sharps or radioactive medications accepted, pills only in one zip lock bag. |
Northbrook Police Department 1401 Landwehr Rd. (847) 564-2060 Open 24/7. Northbrook residents only. |
Chicago Household Chemical & Computer Recycling Facility 1150 N. North Branch St. (312) 744-7672 Tuesdays: 7 a.m. to noon, Thursdays: 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and first Saturday of the month: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. No controlled substances or Medical Waste |
Oak Lawn Village Hall 9446 S. Raymond Ave. (708) 422-8292 7 Days a Week 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
Chicago Lawndale Christian Health Center 3910 W. Ogden Ave. (872) 588-3250 Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Non-controlled substances only |
Oak Park Police Department (Dropbox) 123 Madison St. (708) 383-6400 Open 24/7. |
Chicago Police Department All Chicago police facilities are accepting unwanted medicines. For more information, call 311 or visit www.cityofchicago.org |
Park Ridge City Hall Health Department 505 Butler Pl. (847) 318-5291 First Thursday of the month: 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. |
Chicago George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building (Dropbox) 2650 S. California Ave. (773) 674-3275 Monday through Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. No liquid forms of medication accepted. |
Prospect Heights City Hall 8 N. Elmhurst Rd. (847) 398-6070 Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
Elgin Police Department (Dropbox) 154 Douglas St. (847) 289-2700 7 days/week: 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. |
Rolling Meadows Public Works 3900 Berdnick St. (847) 963-0500 Monday through Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
Elk Grove Village Municipal Complex Police Station 901 Wellington Ave. (847) 357-4100 Open 24/7 |
Rolling Meadows Courthouse |
Elmhurst Police Department (Dropbox) 125 E. First St. (630) 530-3050 Open 24/7 |
Village of Schaumburg Nursing Department |
Elmwood Park Public Safety Building 7420 Fullerton Ave. (708) 453-2137 Open 24/7. No sharps or liquid forms of medication accepted. |
Skokie Courthouse (Dropbox) 5600 Old Orchard Rd. (847) 470-7280 Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. No liquid forms of medication accepted. |
Glenview — Inspectional Services Annex 2500 E. Lake Ave. South of Glenview Village Hall (847) 729-5000 First Friday of the month: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Open 24/7 Not accepting Sharps until Spring 2021 |
Streamwood Fire Department Fire Station 33 1204 S Park (630) 736-3656 Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to noon, 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Narcotic medications and controlled substances not accepted. Sharps accepted. |
Hoffman Estates Department of Health & Human Services 1900 Hassell Rd. SE Entrance of Village Hall (847) 882-9100 First Wednesday of the month: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
Tinley Park Police Department (Dropbox) 7850 W. 183rd St. (708) 532-9111 Open 24/7. No liquids. NO SHARPS. |
Inverness — Palatine Rural Fire Station #36 35 N. Ela Rd (847) 991-8700 Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
Westchester Village Hall |
Kenilworth Police Department 419 Richmond Rd. (847) 251-2141 Monday through Friday: 24 hours. |
Wheeling Village Hall Police Department 1 Community Blvd. (847) 499-9045 Third Saturday of the month: 10 a.m. to noon. |
La Grange Police Department 304 W. Burlington Ave. (708) 579-2333 Open 24/7 NO SHARPS |
Wilmette Police Station (Dropbox) 710 Ridge Rd. (847) 256-1200 Open 24/7. Medications only, no needles. |
Lemont Police Department NO SHARPS |
Winnetka Fire Department 428 Green Bay Rd. (847) 501-6029 Medications: Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sharps: Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
Markham Courthouse Sheriff's Office 16501 S. Kedzie Ave. (708) 232-4430 Monday through Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. No liquid forms of medication accepted. |
Winnetka Fire Department 428 Green Bay Rd. (847) 501-6029 Medications: Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sharps: Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
Walgreens is collecting unwanted drugs at select Illinois sites. Click here to find a site near you. |
Tips for dropping off your medications
Always call before dropping off medications. You may want to:
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Confirm the days and hours of operation
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Ask if the program accepts controlled and non-controlled substances
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Ask if the program accepts sharps
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If planning to drop off medications at a site in a municipality other than where you live, ask if the program is available to non-residents
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Ask if the program does NOT accept any kinds of medications (e.g., liquids, ointments, cancer treatment drugs, etc.)
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Ask if there are any other requirements for dropping off medications
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Unless otherwise specified, use original prescription containers and use permanent marker to mark out your name and personal information.
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Take medications to the collection site ONLY during the drop-off site’s open hours of operation.
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Please follow direction at the drop-off site carefully. Only give medications to personnel at the drop-off site.
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These are NOT share or reuse opportunities. All medications received will be destroyed in an environmentally responsible manner.
Please notify the MWRD of any collection site updates by emailing public.affairs@mwrd.org.
To download the list of Cook County locations (pdf): click here.