{"id":3992,"date":"2018-07-25T08:00:41","date_gmt":"2018-07-25T08:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.redbags.com\/?p=3992"},"modified":"2018-07-23T16:50:21","modified_gmt":"2018-07-23T16:50:21","slug":"old-medicine-bottles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.redbags.com\/old-medicine-bottles\/","title":{"rendered":"Old Medicine Bottles: Did You Know They\u2019re Still Hazardous?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you take daily medication, those orange prescription bottles can pile up quickly. There are many options for recycling your pill containers, but did you know that even empty containers can still pose as a hazard?<\/strong><\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n

The bottle may be empty, but there\u2019s still medication in it.<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

We usually don\u2019t pay attention to those medicine bottles once they are empty. For safety reasons, you\u2019ll remove any personal health information and toss the container in recycling or the trash. However, residual amounts of medication are still in that bottle, and this can be a health hazard if thrown out or recycled. Trace amounts of medication can still find their way into landfills, waterways, and more. While it may seem like overkill, it is anything but.<\/span><\/p>\n

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How to really ensure safety when disposing of old medication bottles.<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

After you\u2019ve removed your personal health information, take the extra step to make sure that the bottle is clean. This can be as simple as using a little bit of soap and water to remove any residual medication so that the bottle is no longer deemed a hazard. Of course, it all depends on the type of drug that was in the container. OTC medications, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, and combination cold medications don\u2019t require this step usually, but even the extra precaution is good for the environment. Controlled substances, such as morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, diazepam, lorazepam, zolpidem can still be coated in medication bottles and should be cleaned before recycling or reusing because of the contents.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Regulatory Compliance<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) provides guidance regarding medications that are known environmental hazards. These are called hazardous pharmaceutical wastes or RCRA drug wastes. Pharmaceutical wastes that meet the RCRA definitions. These include:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n