Sooooo, I was browsing Netflix the other night, looking for a new show to obsess over, and I came across Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. So, I thought I'd give it a try (ummmm, yeah....). Anyway, there was this one scene in the first episode that totally made me freak out...like, "do people seriously do this?!?!?!"
The main character (the crazy ex-girlfriend) decides she's going to go off all of her unspecified pills. So, she dumps them down the kitchen sink and turns on the garbage disposal. Yes, I know. It's just a show and it's supposed to be funny, BUT, it also means that there are actually crazies out there doing this. Hence, this week's Green Living Tip of the Day. For the love of God, do NOT NOT NOT dump any kind of medication down the drain/toilet/other place that feeds into our water supply. This stuff doesn't get filtered back out of the water. So, it all ends up back in our drinking water. UG! Yes, people, we are drinking all the random hormones and other crap that each other is taking. So, if you're growing man-boobs and can't figure out why, maybe it's all the estrogen from your neighbor's drain....(joking, but not really). And no, drinking bottled water isn't going to help. About half of all bottled water is just tap water anyway.
What can you do instead of throwing expired or unwanted pills down the drain? Best option: Take them to the Drug Take Back program that many cities/areas will hold. Check with your city. If you do NOT have that option, do the following, which comes from Earth911:
1. Pour medication into a sealable plastic bag. If medication is a solid (pill, liquid capsule, etc.), add water to dissolve it.
2. Add kitty litter, sawdust, coffee grounds (or any material that mixes with the medication and makes it less appealing for pets and children to eat) to the plastic bag.
3. Seal the plastic bag and put it in the trash.
4. Remove and destroy all identifying personal information (prescription label) from all medication containers before RECYCLING them or throwing them away.
I hope that everyone reading this is like, "DUH! I would never throw medicine down the drain or toilet!". But if you're like, "Huh. Who knew? I guess I'll need to stop doing that," then, I'm glad I wrote this. And, you're welcome!
Oh, and if you're reading this and you are thinking, "I TOTALLY dump my meds in the toilet and I'm going to keep doing it!", then you can KICK ROCKS!
Yes, I FINALLY got to use that phrase! I've seriously been waiting for the perfect opportunity. :)