Medical
Medical supplies and pharmaceuticals pose a potential risk to both the environment and the public. Services are available to assist in disposing of these unwanted materials.
Medical Sharps
These items cannot go in the garbage, as they pose a safety risk to workers, and need to be taken to an appropriate collection site. Sharps may include:
- Glass tubes and slides
- IV tubing with needles attached
- Lancets
- Needles
- Scalpel blades
- Syringes
Disposal Options
There are several disposal options for medical sharps including some pharmacies, your garbage company and Metro. Contact your garbage company directly to learn more about their program or follow the links below to learn more about Metro's program or to find a drop-off site near you.
- Metro’s Sharps Disposal and Container Exchange Program
- Deseche sus jeringuillas médicas de manera segura
- Metro's Household Waste Collection Events
Medications
Oregon has a Drug Take-Back Program that makes it easy and safe to dispose of unwanted prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines at no cost. This program offers two options for disposal: drop-off sites and mail-back.
Please do not put medication down the drain or flush it down the toilet. Medication does not belong in sewage treatment plants or our streams and rivers.