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Medication and Needle Disposal
Safe Medication Storage and Disposal
Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands. That's dangerous and often tragic. That's why it is important to clean out your medicine cabinet and safely and anonymously turn in prescription drugs.
How to Safely Store Medications
- Take medications only as prescribed. Never give them away or share them with others.
- Follow storage instructions on medication labels.
- Keep medications away from people or pets.
- Dispose of medications that are expired or unused immediately and safely.
How to Safely Dispose of Medications
- Do not place medications in the trash or recycling, and never flush them down the toilet.
- Find a medication disposal kiosk near you:
- Visit the Cowlitz County Health & Human Services medication disposal kiosk in our lobby at 1952 9th Avenue in Longview.
- The kiosk is accessible during business hours, Monday-Friday 830am-noon and 1-430pm.
- Medications are accepted in their original container or a sealed bag.
- The kiosk will not accept herbal remedies, vitamins, medical devices, thermometers, sharps, illicit drugs, and pet-pesticide products.
- *To protect your privacy, be sure to remove all personal information on labels or packaging before disposing of medications.
- View the Cowlitz County Solid Waste Disposal map
- Visit the Washington State Safe Medication Return website
- Visit the Cowlitz County Health & Human Services medication disposal kiosk in our lobby at 1952 9th Avenue in Longview.
- Use a mail-back service
- Order mail-back supplies by visiting the Washington State Safe Medication Return website
- Find a take-back event
Safe Needle Disposal
Tips for Safe Needle Disposal
- Never pick a syringe up with your bare hands. Use gloves and tongs or pliers.
- Do not break the needle off a syringe.
- Always put a syringe in a hard plastic container.
- Place the container on the ground -- do not hold -- and drop the syringe in it.
- Tape the container shut.
- Waste Control in Longview, WA accepts sharps from residential customers.
- Sharps must be deposited into a sealed, rigid plastic container with a screw-on lid, such as a liquid laundry detergent bottle, 1-gallon milk jug, 1-gallon orange juice container, or an approved sharps container.
- Place duct tape around the lid and take to the Hazardous Waste Facility (Building A).
- For more information, visit the Waste Control website.
Needle Clean-up Kits*
Cowlitz County Health & Human Services (CCHHS) has free needle clean-up kits for businesses and community members who wish to clean up and safely dispose of used needles found on private or public property. These kits contain safety equipment and instructions about how to safely handle needles. Kits can be picked up at the main campus of CCHHS at 1952 9th Avenue in Longview during normal business hours. *This program is intended for residents and business owners cleaning up used needles found in the community, not for businesses that generate used needles. Individuals using insulin shots or other similar uses should dispose of their used needles in sharps containers provided by local pharmacies or clinics.
Needle Exchange Program
Cowlitz County does not operate a needle exchange program.
For local syringe exchange program information contact the Family Health Center at 621 Grade Street, Kelso WA 98626, or visit the Family Health Center website.