Compass Mark is offering free medication disposal bags to residents & organizations in Lancaster and Chester Counties, PA.
Keeping unused or expired medications in your medicine cabinet can lead to misuse or accidental ingestion. The newest option for the disposal of unused and expired medications are medication disposal bags. We offer Deterra® medication disposal bags to individuals and community organizations.
How Medication Disposal Bags Work
Each bag contains a small pouch of a carbon compound. Unwanted medications are placed in the bag and warm water is added. The water works to dissolve an inner pod, releasing the activated carbon within. This disposal process works on pills, patches and liquids, allowing them to be absorbed by the carbon and rendering them inert and non-retrievable. The bag and its contents can then be safely disposed in a household trashcan. Click for instructional videos or a pdf document in English and Spanish.
Environmentally Friendly
While flushing medications down the drain can contaminate water supplies and harm aquatic life, the Deterra® bags are made of environmentally sound materials that allow for the degradation of the plastic pouch and zipper through the use of organic additives that are consumed by microbes found in landfills.
To obtain Deterra bags, please call (717) 299-2831 or email your local Compass Mark office:
Lancaster County- Christine Weidner / ext. 233
Chester County- Shannon DiCandilo / ext. 240