San José Drop-off Bin Locations

Don't flush unused or expired medicines down the toilet, the drain, or put in the garbage. Find a free drop-off bin near you.

Remember to remove all personal and identifying information from your medication labels and/or its packaging before disposal.

Accepted Not accepted

Medications in any dosage form including pills and liquid medications, in their original container or sealed bag, except for those identified as Not Accepted.

 Herbal remedies, vitamins, supplements, cosmetics, other personal care products, medical devices, batteries, mercury-containing thermometers, sharps, and illicit drugs.

 

Take unwanted medicine to a drop-off bin near you.

The Issue

When unused or expired pharmaceuticals, or medicines, are disposed of down the drain or flushed down the toilet, they flow through the sanitary sewer system to the San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility (Facility). The Facility was not designed to remove all pharmaceutical compounds, so trace amounts may pass through the Facility and be released into the Bay.

The major concerns to date regarding the presence of medications in surface water bodies have been interference with growth and reproduction in aquatic organisms such as fish and frogs, and increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics in humans.

Prescription drugs such as antibiotics, antidepressants, and hormones and over-the-counter medications, antiseptics, and veterinary medicines are all considered to be pharmaceuticals.

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