Recycling Hazardous Materials Responsibly

Plenty of homes have cans of leftover paint, unwanted bottles of pesticide and even old knives hanging around simply because no one knows how to dispose of them safely. Finally, we've got the expert answers on how to get rid of everything from light bulbs to pain meds in the most eco-friendly way possible (12 Photos)

Sadia Latifi on Jan 1, 2013 at 12:10PM

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Recycling Hazardous Materials Responsibly

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Carefully Dispose of Unused Meds


Few people use all the pills in their medicine cabinet before they expire. Do a cleanout of yours twice a year. If the drug label has specific disposal instructions, follow those. If not, the FDA strongly advises against flushing drugs down the toilet. Instead, they recommend participating in community drug take-back programs, which allow you to bring your unused medicines to a central location. The Drug Enforcement Administration also sponsors National Prescription Drug Take Back Days throughout the year. If you can’t make it to an event, remove drugs from their original containers, remove any personally identifying information, and mix them with an undesirable substance such as coffee grounds and kitty litter before putting in the trash. This way, the medication is unrecognizable to anyone who may rummage through your trash.

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