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County hazardous waste collection will also include pharmaceuticals
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By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
Got a few bottles containing out-dated prescriptions that you don’t know what to do with? Houston County Environmental Services Officer Rick Frank can help you out.
Houston County will be holding its semi-annual household hazardous waste collection Aug. 28 and Sept. 4. As in past collections, county residents will be able to properly dispose of residential household hazardous wastes, and residential ag chemicals. But they will also be able to get ride of residential pharmaceuticals as well.
“This will be our first time of helping folks get rid of old medicines and prescriptions. There’s quite a call for this. People just don’t know what to do with meds that are out-dated, or unused portions. Many people dump this in their toilets, but that’s not the answer,” Frank explained.
Frank’s office has worked with County Public Health and the County Sheriff’s Office to provide an environmentally safe way of disposing of old pharmaceuticals.
The first collection will be held at the Houston County Recycling Center, 105 North Grant Street in Houston on Thursday, Aug. 28 from 1 to 6 p.m. The second collection will be held at the Houston County Fairgrounds, in the newer commercial exhibit building in Caledonia on Thursday, Sept. 4 from 1 to 6 p.m.
A fee will be charged for all items accepted at the collection sites with the exception of residential ag chemicals. Frank explained the state is helping with the cost of disposing of ag chemicals. The fee for paints and solvents will be 50 cents per pound. All other household hazardous waste items will be $1.50 per pound. Pharmaceutical items will be $3 per pound.
“I know that might sound like a lot to charge for pharmaceuticals, but it takes a lot of old pills to make a pound,” Frank pointed out.
The county will cost share 50 percent of the total disposal cost of the program.
“This is for residents of Houston County and only residential wastes. It’s not a place for businesses to get rid of their hazardous wastes,” Frank emphasized.
Because the county will be accepting and disposing of pharmaceuticals, a member of the Houston County Sheriff’s Department will be supervising that portion of the collection at each site.
“This is a good program, I hope people in the county take part in it and nobody abuses it. It’s so much better for the environment to dispose of these chemicals in the proper way,” Frank concluded.
For more information, persons should contact Frank’s office at (507) 725-5800 or (507) 896-2535.
You can contact Charlie Warner at
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