
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 | |
MWRD Main Office Building 100 E. Erie St., Chicago (312) 751-6555 Monday through Friday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
Stickney Water Reclamation Plant 6001 W. Pershing Rd., Cicero (708) 588-3000 7 days/week: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
Calumet Water Reclamation Plant 400 E. 130th St., Chicago (773) 256-3500 7 days/week: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant 3500 Howard St., Skokie (847) 568-8223 7 days/week: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
Arlington Heights Senior Center 1801 W. Central Rd. (847) 253-5532 First Thursday of the month 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
Markham Courthouse Sheriff's Office 16501 S. Kedzie Ave. (708) 232-4551 Monday through Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. No liquid forms of medication accepted. |
Barrington Public Safety Building 400 N. Northwest Hwy. (847) 304-3300 7 days/week: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
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. |
Bartlett Village Hall 228 S. Main St. (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. |
Morton Grove Civic Center 6140 Dempster St. (847) 470-5223 Monday through Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
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. |
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. |
Brookfield Village Hall Police Station 8820 Brookfield Ave. (708) 485-7344 Open 24/7. |
Niles Police Department (Dropbox) 7000 W. Touhy Ave. Niles, IL 60714 (847) 588-6500 Medications only: Open 24/7. No syringes. |
Buffalo Grove Village Hall Health Department 50 Raupp Blvd. (847) 459-2530 Monday: 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
Niles Senior Center 999 Civic Center Dr. (847) 588-8442 Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
Burr Ridge Police Station 7700 County Line Rd. (630) 654-8181 Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. No sharps or radioactive medications accepted, pills only in one zip lock bag. |
Northbrook Dundee Pharmacy 2750 Dundee Rd., Suite 9 (847) 480-1000 Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Prescription drugs only, no controlled substances. |
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. |
Northbrook Police Department 1401 Landwehr Rd. (847) 564-2060 Open 24/7. Northbrook residents only. |
Chicago Lawndale Christian Health Center 3860 W. Ogden Ave. (773) 843-3000 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 Brook Police Department 1200 Oak Brook Rd. (630) 368-8700 Open 24/7. |
Chicago Well Future Pharmacy, LLC 1442 S. Michigan Ave. (312) 589-7620 Monday through Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Current customers only. |
Oak Lawn Barcus Pharmacy 4708 W. 103rd St. (708) 425-2400 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., No liquids over 4-ozs., no sharp or radioactive items. |
Chicago Police Department All Chicago police facilities are accepting unwanted medicines. For more information, call 311 or visit www.cityofchicago.org |
Oak Lawn Village Hall 9446 S. Raymond Ave. (708) 636-4400 Call for specific days and times. |
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. |
Oak Park Police Department (Dropbox) 123 Madison St. (708) 383-6400 Open 24/7. |
Elgin Police Department (Dropbox) 154 Douglas St. (847) 289-2700 7 days/week: 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. |
Palatine Village Hall Environmental Health Division 200 E. Wood St. (847) 359-9090 Monday through Friday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residential only, no controlled substance. |
Elk Grove Village Municipal Complex Fire Administration Building 901 Wellington Ave. (847) 357-4202 Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
Palos Heights City Hall 7607 W. College Dr. (708) 361-1800 Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
Elmhurst Police Department (Dropbox) 125 E. First St. (630) 530-3050 Open 24/7. |
Park Ridge City Hall Health Department 505 Butler Pl. (847) 318-5291 First Thursday of the month: 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. |
Elmwood Park Public Safety Building 7420 Fullerton Ave. (708) 453-2137 Open 24/7. No sharps or liquid forms of medication accepted. |
Prospect Heights City Hall 8 N. Elmhurst Rd. (847) 398-6070, ext. 206 Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
Evanston Police Department (Dropbox) 1454 Elmwood Ave. (847) 866-5000 Open 24/7. |
Rolling Meadows Public Works 3900 Berdnick St. (847) 870-2884 Monday through Friday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
Evanston -- St. Francis Hospital Pharmacy (Dropbox) 800 Austin St. (847) 316-2372 Monday through Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (excluding 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.) Non-controlled substances only. |
Rolling Meadows Courthouse (Dropbox) 2121 W. Euclid Ave. (847) 818-2810 Monday through Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. No liquid forms of medication accepted. |
Glencoe Village Hall Police Department 325 Hazel Ave. (847) 835-4112 Wednesday: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
Schaumburg Police Department 1000 W. Schaumburg Rd. (847) 882-3534 Open 24/7. |
Glenview — Inspectional Services Annex 2500 E. Lake Ave. South of Glenview Village Hall (847) 904-4340 First Friday of the month: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. If the first Friday falls on a holiday, the collection will be moved the following Friday. |
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. |
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. |
Skokie Village Hall Health Department 5127 Oakton St. (847) 933-8252 Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Narcotic medications, controlled substances, and over-the-counter liquids are not accepted. |
Inverness — Palatine Rural Fire Station #36 35 N. Ela Rd (847) 991-8700 Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
Streamwood Fire Department Fire Station 33 1095 E. Schaumburg Rd. (630) 213-6300 Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Narcotic medications and controlled substances not accepted. |
Kenilworth Police Department 419 Richmond Rd. (847) 251-2141 Monday through Friday: 24 hours. |
Tinley Park Police Department (Dropbox) 7850 W. 183rd St. (708) 532-9111 Open 24/7. |
La Grange Police Department 304 W. Burlington Ave. (708) 579-2334 Open 24/7. |
Westchester Village Hall 10300 W. Roosevelt Rd. (708) 345-0020 7 days/week: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. |
La Grange Park Police Department (Dropbox) 447 N. Catherine Ave. (708) 352-2151 Open 24/7. |
Wheeling Village Hall Police Department 1 Community Blvd. (847) 499-9045 Third Saturday of the month: 10 a.m. to noon. |
Lemont Police Department 14600 127th St. (630) 257-2229 Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
Wilmette Police Station (Dropbox) 710 Ridge Rd. (847) 256-1200 Open 24/7. Medications only, no needles. |
Winnetka Fire Department 428 Green Bay Rd. |
In 2016, Walgreens announced it would be collecting unwanted drugs at select Illinois sites. For more information, visit here.
Tips for dropping off your medications:
Always call before dropping off medications. You may want to:
-
Confirm the days and hours of operation
-
Ask if the program accepts controlled and non-controlled substances
-
Ask if the program accepts sharps
-
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
-
Ask if the program does NOT accept any kinds of medications (e.g., liquids, ointments, cancer treatment drugs, etc.)
-
Ask if there are any other requirements for dropping off medications
Additional tips for dropping off medications:
-
Unless otherwise specified, use original prescription containers and use permanent marker to mark out your name and personal information.
-
Take medications to the collection site ONLY during the drop-off site’s open hours of operation.
-
Please follow direction at the drop-off site carefully. Only give medications to personnel at the drop-off site.
-
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.