Unused medicine isn’t safe to throw - or flush - away.

It might seem harmless to toss expired pills in the trash or flush them down the toilet, but it’s not. Drugs can get into the water supply and hang around in the environment for a long time. Choose one of the options below for safe disposal. 

Used needles, syringes, lancets, and other medical sharps should never be placed in the recycling bin or trash. Please note there is information for safe needles and sharps disposal toward the bottom of this page. These items are not accepted at drop-off locations for unused medications.

New York State offers a Drug Take Back Program, funded by pharmaceutical manufacturers, which provides residents with convenient, secure disposal drop-off locations or mail-back supplies. For more information and locations, visit www.medtakebacknewyork.org or call (844) 482-5322. 

For additional locations, see the unused medication drop box list below from the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Ontario County.

Used needles, syringes, lancets, and other medical sharps should never be placed in the recycling bin or trash.

What is considered a sharp? All of the following must be disposed of as sharps waste: hypodermic needles, pen needles, intravenous needles, lancets and other devices that are used to break the skin of people and animals.

Containment

Contain the sharps safely in your own home:

• Use a puncture-proof plastic container with a tight-fitting screw top. A plastic soda bottle or bleach bottle is good. Don't use glass because it can break. Coffee cans are not recommended because the plastic lids come off too easily.
• Label the container clearly. Write "Contains Sharps" with a waterproof marker directly on the container or on masking tape on the container.
• Once you have used a syringe or lancet, immediately put it into your container. Screw on the top. Don't clip, bend or recap the needles because you could injure yourself.
• Keep the container away from children.
• When the container is full, screw on the cap tightly. Seal it with heavy-duty tape to be extra safe.

Disposal

There are different options for getting rid of the container of sharps. Choose the option that is most convenient and easy for you to use. Here are the best bets for safety, health, and protection of the environment:

• All hospitals and nursing homes in New York State are mandated by law to accept home-generated sharps as a free, community service through their sharps collection programs. For more information, call the facility's main phone number and ask to be connected to their Sharps Coordinator.
• Call your doctor, pharmacy, or clinic and ask if they accept properly-contained sharps for disposal.
• Ask your diabetes educator or local American Diabetes Association chapter about sharps disposal programs.
• Call your local health department and ask for the health educator. Ask about special household medical waste disposal programs.