Home Page | City Council | City Government | Feedback | Search

Copyright © 2002 City of Longmont, All Rights Reserved
Main Address: City of Longmont, 350 Kimbark Street, Longmont, CO 80501 | 303-776-6050 | Privacy Policy
Links to external sites do not constitute endorsements by the City of Longmont.
By visiting this and other City of Longmont web pages, you expressly agree to be bound by the policies of the site.

SMARxT Disposal Options for Pharmaceuticals The April 2012 was a big success 927.8 lbs of pharmaceuticals collected 854 households participated 12 bags of paper recycled 7 bags of trash 15 bags of plastic bottles recycled Next Drop Off Day may be in September or October 2012 Longmont United Hospital (main lobby) 1950 Mountain View Ave. Miss the event? King Soopers at 1650 30th St. in Boulder has a year round take back program (no controlled substances accepted). This program is offered by the State of Colorado, so all Colorado residents are able to use it. Thanks to Longmont United Hospital, the Longmont Police Department and the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), the two events held in 2011 collected 1,609 lbs. of medication that could have otherwise ended up down the drain or in a landfill. SAVE OUR FISH Do not flush medication down the drain Buy only what you can use before the expiration date, Bring medications to Drop Off Days, Ask your pharmacist about their Take Back Programs and the type of disposal they use. (Don't use a Take Back Program that discharges the wastes to the sanitary sewer.); Throw medication into the trash after making it unusable. (mix liquids with absorbents such as kitty litter or coffee grounds; and mix pills with glue and dry before discarding. Patches can be cut into small strips and mixed with glue. Also, remember to remove identification from bottles or use a non-descript container.) Controlled substances: please refer to the printed materials accompanying the medication for specific instructions on proper disposal.

P2 Program 501 East 1st Avenue Longmont, CO 80501 Phone: (303) 651-8667 Email: water@ci.longmont.co.us Endocrine Disruptors Protecting Surface & Ground Water from Contamination Event Statistics

Frequently Asked Questions About the Annual Drop Off Event

When is the next event?

Next event may be in fall of 2012. However, some local pharmacies are now accepting unused medications for proper disposal. Ask your pharmacist how they dispose of the wastes.

What is accepted at the event?

All pharmaceuticals (prescription and over-the-counter) from residents will be accepted. This includes pills, capsules, liquids, inhalers, patches, etc.

Businesses cannot dispose of their wastes at this event.

Can I drop off other medical equipment/wastes?

No, this event is for pharmaceuticals only.

Needles cannot by recycled and are not accepted the the Haz Waste Event. Residents may throw these in the trash if they are placed in a sharps container or heavy duty plastic container that can be sealed. Check with your own trash service if it is not the City of Longmont.

Mercury thermometers and other household hazardous wastes may be disposed through the City of Longmont's Public Works facility's Household Hazardous Waste Drop Off Event at 375 Airport Road. This is usually scheduled in September.

Who may participate?

Any Colorado resident may participate.

Why should I participate in this event?

3-7% of all medication goes unused, according to estimates by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Pharmacy groups previously recommended flushing medications down the drain.

However, recent research shows that wastewater treatment plants may not “treat” these chemicals and they will pass through and into the river.  Some chemicals can cause harm to fish species.  In fact, a recent study conducted on Boulder Creek shows that levels of “endocrine disruptors” below the discharge of a treatment plant were high enough to cause fish mutations.

 

What can I expect at the event?

The event is held on a Saturday, so there should be ample parking available.

Enter the hospital main lobby and follow the signs to the event table to drop off your wastes.

A pharmacist will be onsite to answer any questions and review the wastes prior to disposal.

What if I can't make this year's scheduled event?

For safety reasons, please only drop off your medication during the hours of 8 am to 2 pm and only at the event table.

• You can hold on to the wastes for next year's event.
• You can ask your pharmacist if they have a take back program (& ask them how it will be disposed!)
• You can use the year round Colorado Medication Take Back Pilot Program - nearest location for Longmont residents is King Soopers 1650 30th Street in Boulder.
• You can check out the Eco-Cycle A-Z Guide under "medication".
• You can throw the wastes in the trash after making it unusable. Smarxt Disposal options listed above.

What happens to the wastes I drop off at the event?

At the event table, staff will empty pill bottles into a container. This will reduce the weight and hence, disposal costs.

A waste hauler is contracted to deliver the wastes to an approved facility for proper disposal by incineration. In 2010, the wastes were collected by the DEA for incineration and part of a national collection event.

Controlled substances will be accepted at the event by the City of Longmont Police and properly disposed (by incineration) at a facility in Denver.

Containers (plastic or cardboard) will be recycled through Ecocycle.

Do I have to do anything to the wastes prior to drop off?

It would be prudent to remove or scratch out personal information from any bottle. Please retain the label that identifies the medication so that we can segregate any controlled substances.

Can I drop off drugs prescribed for my pet?

Yes, or you may contact your vet to see if they collect them for reuse.

Can I drop off other wastes like personal care products, pesticides, etc.?

No. Other household hazardous wastes may be disposed through the City of Longmont's Public Works facility's Household Hazardous Waste Drop Off Event at 375 Airport Road.

What if I have more questions?

Please call the City's Pollution Prevention Program at (303) 651-8667.

Return to top.

What Are Endocrine Disruptors?

The EPA has identified numerous pollutants that can be considered endrocrine disruptors. These not only include the obvious pharmaceutical products, but also over the counter medications, fire retardants, and fragrances commonly found in cosmetics, deodorants and lotions... to name a few categories.

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCP):Click here to go to the EPA website for more information.

Return to top.

Protecting Surface Waters and Groundwater From Contamination

Wastewater treatment plants were not designed to treat pharmaceutical wastes or its byproducts. In the past, proper disposal included flushing medication down the drain or toilet. However, recent studies have shown that many chemicals are not treated by the wastewater treatment plants. These can pass through the plant and contaminate the receiving water (the river). Fish mutations have even been recorded in Boulder Creek below a wastewater treatment plant.

At this time, we really don't know the extent of the long or short term problems from this contamination to the environment, animal or human health. Hopefully, technology will be developed soon to treat the wastes at the wastewater treatment plant.

FREQUENTY ASKED QUESTIONS

Are fish mutations happening in the St. Vrain River below Longmont's wastewater treatment plant like in Boulder? ----Most likely. However, this is a worldwide problem and not a Boulder County problem. We are unable to conduct any fish studies on the St. Vrain River. It is home to some fish species that are not found anywhere else in Colorado. For that reason, the Department of Wildlife (DOW) prohibits fish studies on the St. Vrain River.

What is the City doing about this problem? ----Monitoring, public education and the SMARxT Disposal Campaign.

St. Vrain River Monitoring - The City of Longmont Public Works & Natural Resources has been conducting river monitoring for over 20 years. During 2005-2006, we partnered with the USGS to conduct sampling of the St. Vrain River for endocrine disruptors. Click here to read more about the St. Vrain River studies. As expected, some pollutants were found and some show an increased concentration as the water moves through the city. We also conduct annual stream health assessments where benthic organisms are collected and evaluated.

Is my drinking water contaminated?

If you want general information about PPCPs and drinking water, click here to visit the American Water Works Association (AWWA) website.

Does the City monitor the drinking water for pharmaceuticals? ----NO, the City's water supply and treated water are monitored for the parameters required to ensure safe and high quality drinking water. The EPA is working on identifying the specific pollutants of concern or any pharmaceutical from the list of potential endorcrine disruptors. Additionally, the EPA has to adopt the 'approved methods' for the analysis of these chemicals once they are identified.

The City of Longmont's Drinking Water Annual Report lists the testing done and is available on-line.

Today, we suggest disposal to a landfill. However, this may have future consequences if the medication contaminates the landfill leachate, escapes and enters the groundwater. This option is better than disposal down the drain, but probably just creating environmental problems for the next generation. Studies have shown that some chemicals persist for several decades in groundwater. These are probably low level concentrations, but we don't know the extent of problems that could be caused from long term low level exposure to the chemicals or their byproducts.

Return to top.

Event Statistics

• Total of 5,291 pounds of wastes diverted from potentially entering our environment.
• Average of 1.35 lbs per household. This is medication only - no bottles included in the final weight.

These demographics were accumulated during the 2007 event.

Included are 132 households representing 307 individuals (self, family, friends and pets):

• 53% of households dropped off both prescription and over-the-counter medications.
• 39% of drugs had expired. 35% of drugs were no longer taken.
• 40% of drugs had been saved for 2 years or more. 23% had been saved 1 to 2 years.
• 56% of people previously disposed of wastes to trash. 42% of people previously flushed them down the toilet.
• 52% of participants hear about the event from the Daily Times Call items: "City Talk" and "Johnny St. Vrain".
• 37% of people participating were between the ages of 48-60 years old. 31% were over 74 years. 24% were 61-73 years.
• 79% of participants were female.
• 6% of the individuals included in the households were pets.

Most asked questions before, during and after the event:

• What do I do if I can't make the event date/time? Click here for answer.
• Do you accept needles? No, click here for more information.
• What happens to the wastes? Click here for answer.

 

Return to top.

Environmental Sustainability|Water Utilities|Public Works & Natural Resources|City of Longmont

This page was updated May 1, 2012
City of Longmont Public Works & Natural Resources
Pollution Prevention Program