Monroe County and Wegmans to Hold Pharmaceutical Collection Saturday
In an effort to expand Monroe County’s award-winning pharmaceutical waste collection program, County Executive Maggie Brooks today announced that the County Department of Environmental Services (DES) is partnering with Wegmans to hold a free pharmaceutical waste collection on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Wegmans on 3701 Mt. Read Boulevard in Rochester.
“These collections give residents the opportunity to safely dispose of any unused, unwanted or expired medications,” said Brooks. “These events also show how Monroe County and its partners are working together in a secure and environmentally-friendly manner as we keep potentially harmful pharmaceuticals out of our landfills and water supply.”
Monroe County DES and Wegmans partnered to hold a free pharmaceutical waste collection in August at the Penfield Wegmans. The event served nearly 500 Monroe County residents and collected nearly 1,700 pounds of unused and unwanted hazardous and non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste.
No appointments are needed for the pharmaceutical waste collection at the Mt. Read Blvd. Wegmans on October 31st. Residents are asked to black out any personal information (not the medication name or dosage) on their prescription containers. All collected medications will be destroyed by an incineration process which is administered by law enforcement.
Beginning on Tuesday, October 27th, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office B-Zone Substation in Henrietta will begin accepting pharmaceutical waste. Residents can drop off their unused and unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications to the B-Zone at 245 Summit Point Drive on Tuesdays only from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Collections will be overseen by Sheriff’s Deputies; and no appointment is needed.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Monroe County Water Authority and Center for Environmental Information also participate in the County’s pharmaceutical waste collections. Waste from pharmacies, veterinary offices and pharmaceutical businesses will not be accepted. For more information, call the Monroe County DES at 753-7600 (option #3).
Earlier this year, Monroe County received a 2009 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Quality Award for its pharmaceutical waste collection program. The EPA applauded the County DES for its commitment to protecting and enhancing our area’s environmental quality.
Monroe County has assisted several other communities across the state with their pharmaceutical waste collections. The DES provides guidebooks to other municipalities which provide contacts, advertising samples and event preparation tips and procedures.
