County offers drug disposal site

People who want to remove unneeded prescription pills from their homes now can take them to a 24-hour drop-off site in Kalispell.

A secure collection container is located in the lobby of the Flathead County Justice Center at the county courthouse complex on South Main Street.

The white box resembles a mail drop box.

People can drop items in, but the slot is too small for anyone to get a hand or arm inside to take anything out, Flathead County Landfill Operations Manager Jim Chilton said.

Only pills can be deposited in the container. No needles or liquid medicine can be dropped in it, Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry said in a press release.

The container was purchased with a grant secured by the WasteNot Project, a group which promotes programs for the reduction, recycling and proper disposal of waste in Flathead County, WasteNot Project Manager Mayre Flowers said.

The drop-off box complements the annual Operation Medicine Cabinet event that has been held in Flathead County for the last two years, Chilton said. That one-day collection effort for prescription drugs will continue.

“It is a very beneficial thing for the community and we will continue it,” he said.

Operation Medicine Cabinet’s goal is to educate people that flushing or pouring medications down drains is not acceptable because it can contaminate groundwater.

Pills left in the drop-off box will be taken to the landfill for proper disposal, Chilton said. Pills are mixed with latex paint and bentonite and buried at least 12 feet deep.

The drop-off box is located at the Sheriff’s Office instead of at the landfill because it needs to be in a controlled, secure, monitored environment, Chilton said.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.