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You probably know you shouldn’t flush medications you don’t want anymore. It’s bad for the environment. But maybe you don’t know what to do with them. Well, now you can Google it.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) partnered with Google Maps on a new map that shows exactly where you can take those unwanted drugs.
There are now 334 permanent collection bins across the state for expired, unused, or unwanted household medications across all 95 Tennessee counties. You can find them using Google Maps. Just type “drug drop off near me” or “medication disposal near me.”
In Memphis, many of the bins are located at police precincts, Walgreens, and CVS stores.
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
Find a drug disposal bin in your neighborhood with this handy map.
“With just a single search on Google, Americans can quickly find convenient disposal locations open year-round, and do their part to reduce the harmful health and environmental impacts of excess medications,” said Google User Safety Initiative senior counsel Michael Trinh.
Flushing medications or draining drugs down a sink allows chemicals to enter streams or groundwater where they can affect drinking water and stream ecosystems. Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to adequately remove chemicals found in drugs, according to TDEC.
Medications accepted in the bins include liquid prescriptions, ointments, pills, over-the-counter medications, and pet medications.
But if you’d really like to be part of a national drug-disposal event, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is hosting Drug Take-Back Day on April 27th. Drop off your drugs with the feds here.