Left over pet medications

[thunderpaws]

Originally Posted by Willowy

I've never seen any other advice on how to dispose of old meds

. I'm not sure if incinerating meds is any better, as there's probably drug residue in the ashes, and then the ashes would have to be disposed of somehow. Or the drugs would go up in the smoke and come down again in the rain. It's a real problem, I know, but I don't know what else can be done.

You're right..even incinerating the plastic bottles would give off toxic arsenic fumes..but compared to the amount of stuff incinerated by hospitals and doctors surgerys,the odd bottle we dispose of is minimal in comparison.

 

[yosemite]

I guess only our great grandchildren and beyond will know the consequences of these actions. I'm personally glad that in Canada the drugs are disposed of in a better manner than flushing/landfill.

 

[Willowy]

But what is that "better manner"? Like I said, I'm not sure incinerating them IS better (if that is in fact what's done with them in Canada), although I'd like to see a comparative analysis done to know for sure.

If you put the meds in a plastic container or bag, that container/bag won't decompose for thousands of years in a sanitary landfill (anaerobic conditions). I think the meds in that plastic would be the least of our great-grandchildrens' concerns

.

 

[yosemite]

Originally Posted by Willowy

But what is that "better manner"? Like I said, I'm not sure incinerating them IS better (if that is in fact what's done with them in Canada), although I'd like to see a comparative analysis done to know for sure.

If you put the meds in a plastic container or bag, that container/bag won't decompose for thousands of years in a sanitary landfill (anaerobic conditions). I think the meds in that plastic would be the least of our great-grandchildrens' concerns

.

Where did you get the information that the drugs were put in plastic bags in landfills or did I just miss that information in one of the posts?

 

[Willowy]

Originally Posted by Yosemite

Where did you get the information that the drugs were put in plastic bags in landfills or did I just miss that information in one of the posts?

That's the advice in the FDA information (for non-flushable meds)---to mix the meds with something yucky, then place in a plastic bag or container and place the bag/container in the trash.

 

[yosemite]

Originally Posted by Willowy

That's the advice in the FDA information (for non-flushable meds)---to mix the meds with something yucky, then place in a plastic bag or container and place the bag/container in the trash.

Oh, I thought you had been referring to the Canadians putting the meds in plastic bags and putting that in landfill. I didn't realize you were talking about the US when you made the original statement that I questioned.