• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Recycle Utah

Recycle Utah

Nonprofit Summit County, Utah Recycling Center

  • About
    • Our Impact
    • Our Team
    • Job Opportunities
    • Financial Statements
  • Services
    • Materials Accepted
    • Remote Glass Recycling Bins
    • Thrift Store
    • Rain Barrels
    • Moving Materials for Sale
    • Self Serve Paper Shredder
    • Recycling Bin Rentals
    • CSA Pick Up
    • Community Trash Cleanups
    • Composting
    • Curbside Recycling
    • Household Hazardous Waste
      • Medicine Disposal
  • Education
    • Elementary & Adult Education
    • Green Business Program
    • Latinx Outreach
    • Blog
  • Support
    • Donate Now
    • Support Recycle Utah’s Plans for the Future
    • Sponsor a Bin
    • Volunteer
    • Shop and Donate
    • Donate Your Car
    • 2024 Supporters
  • Events

#hazardous waste

Proper Disposal of Pharmaceutical Waste

June 15, 2022 by zerowaste@recycleutah.org

Unused prescription drugs can lead to possible substance abuse at home. It’s important to get rid of medication you no longer need but where and how do you properly dispose it? Improper disposal of pharmaceutical waste can create an environmental disaster – contaminating groundwater, drinking water, aquatic environments, and more.

The two ways the typical person disposes of their pharmaceuticals are to either flush them down the drain or landfill them. Both options, however, are detrimental to the environment. Medicine flushed down the drain makes its way to sewage facilities not equipped to degrade medicinal substances. These pharmaceuticals can pass through sewage and water treatment plants, leading to contaminated water that will go back into our watershed.

When one throws out their pharmaceutical waste, it will ultimately end up at a landfill and seep into groundwater. From here, these medicines can contaminate lakes and streams, hurting surrounding fish and other aquatic wildlife. These environmental terrors demonstrate the importance of properly disposing of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Old, out-of-date, or unused prescription medicines and vitamins can be dropped off at the following Summit County locations: Redstone Center Health Pharmacy, Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Kamas Police Department, or Park City Police Department. For Wasatch County, you can drop off medications at the Heber City Police Department or Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office. To prevent possible abuse of prescription drugs, it’s important to dispose of medication that you no longer need. But be sure to dispose of them responsibly!

By Pearson Ehrich

Filed Under: Sustainable Materials, Thriving Community & Equity, Water Tagged With: #greentips, #hazardous waste, #pharmaceuticals, #recycle utah, #sustainability, #zerowaste

Household Hazardous Waste

April 20, 2022 by zerowaste@recycleutah.org

You can’t throw a can of antifreeze in the recycling, but the trash isn’t fit for it either. So, how do you dispose of hazardous products?

Notable hazardous household items are herbicides, pesticides, and oil. The average household in the U.S. contains around 3 to 10 gallons of hazardous material. Do not pour hazardous materials in the sink, on the ground, or put in a dumpster. These materials can contaminate soil, affect water treatment plants, and emit harmful chemicals. Though these chemicals may not be notably harmful in small amounts, accumulating exposure is a serious problem.

It is important to prioritize the management of harmful materials. The optimal choice to avoid these negative consequences is to find a natural alternative. If your car uses conventional oil, look into switching to synthetic and increasing intervals between service appointments. If you are unable to make this switch, be conscious of handling instructions on the label. For latex paints, add kitty litter or sawdust to the container to let it dry out and put it in the garbage. Using products entirely prevents chemicals from seeping into waterways. If some of the product remains, keep it in its original packaging with all labels intact. From here, collect the items in a thick plastic bag to prevent leaks and take it to the 3 Mile Canyon Landfill for proper management. And come to our free Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on Saturday, April 30, 2022 at the Canyons Cabriolet parking lot!

By Lauren Allen

Filed Under: Sustainable Materials, Water Tagged With: #greentips, #hazardous waste, #recycle utah, #sustainability

Footer

FOLLOW US

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter


SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

CONTACT US

(435) 649-9698
1951 Woodbine Way
PO Box 682998
Park City, UT 84068

HOURS

Mon-Sat: 8:00am – 5:30pm

Code of Conduct for Facility Use


Closed on the Following Holidays

New Year’s Day
Easter Sunday
Memorial Day
Juneteenth
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
New Year’s Eve
Copyright © 2025

  • About
    ▼
    • Our Impact
    • Our Team
    • Job Opportunities
    • Financial Statements
  • Services
    ▼
    • Materials Accepted
    • Remote Glass Recycling Bins
    • Thrift Store
    • Rain Barrels
    • Moving Materials for Sale
    • Self Serve Paper Shredder
    • Recycling Bin Rentals
    • CSA Pick Up
    • Community Trash Cleanups
    • Composting
    • Curbside Recycling
    • Household Hazardous Waste
      ▼
      • Medicine Disposal
  • Education
    ▼
    • Elementary & Adult Education
    • Green Business Program
    • Latinx Outreach
    • Blog
  • Support
    ▼
    • Donate Now
    • Support Recycle Utah’s Plans for the Future
    • Sponsor a Bin
    • Volunteer
    • Shop and Donate
    • Donate Your Car
    • 2024 Supporters
  • Events