Contact: Julia Wagner, PSI Marketing and Communications Manager, julia@productstewardship.us; (617)-236-4855
Springfield, Missouri – Today, fifteen pharmacies and public health organizations in Missouri began distributing medicine mail-back envelopes to patients free of charge. The mail-back pilot program – a collaboration of Solid Waste Management District O, the Missouri Product Stewardship Council (MO PSC), and the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) – will provide residents in Springfield, Dexter, Malden, Cameron, Washington, and North Central Missouri’s Green Hills Region with additional options for safe, effective disposal services for leftover medicine as long as supplies last.
The pilot program launched on the heels of the MO PSC’s successful state-wide education campaign, which leveraged social media to connect Missouri residents with information about how to responsibly empty their medicine cabinets. The campaign reached over 110,000 Missourians, connecting over 2,000 residents with an interactive take-back site locator map. The map allows the user to search for medicine take-back sites throughout the state and includes relevant information such as business hours and contact information.
“We are excited to continue and expand our campaign to provide Missouri residents with safe, medication disposal options,” said Angie Snyder, Solid Waste Management District O Planner and MO PSC Chair. “This year, we are piloting a medicine mail-back program to increase access for rural and home-bound residents, offering an alternative to kiosks and in-home disposal pouches. The MO PSC has worked hard for three years now to harmonize messaging about safe disposal throughout the state and to expand opportunities for residents to rid their homes of unwanted medication. Not only does this keep our friends and families safe, but it also protects our environment.”
According to the EPA, flushed medications can create as much as 2,300 tons of hazardous waste annually. “Incorrectly disposing of leftover medications, like flushing them down the toilet, can introduce harmful substances into our waterways. This not only threatens aquatic life but can also contaminate our drinking water sources,” said Klark Bohling, Sourcewater Protection Specialist, Missouri Rural Water Association. “By providing safe disposal options, we’re protecting both our environment and public health.”
Storing unused medicines in the home also poses risks. In 2023, 39 percent of people over 12 years old who misused prescription pain relievers obtained them from friends or relatives, including taking them without asking, according to the latest report from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. “Safe medication disposal plays a critical role in preventing accidental poisoning and reducing the potential for abuse. By providing our residents with options for proper, safe disposal of leftover medication, we are helping to protect our communities and minimize those risks,” said Madison Brower, Greene County PFS Project Director, Community Partnership of the Ozarks.
The mail-back pilot program enables residents to mail up to 8 ounces of expired and leftover prescription and over-the-counter medicines and supplements in pre-paid Stericycle envelopes to a regulated facility where they will be safely destroyed. The mail-back envelopes are secure, anonymous, and meet all federal compliance standards. Mail-back envelopes are available at the following participating distribution sites in Missouri, while supplies last:
| Alps Pharmacy – Springfield 2650 W Kearney St #116, Springfield, 65803 (417) 865-1547 —————————————————————– |
Livingston County Health Department 800 Adam Drive, Chillicothe, 64601 660-646-5506 —————————————————————– |
| Caldwell County Health Department P.O. Box 66, 255 West Main, Kingston, 64650 816-586-2311 —————————————————————– |
Mercer County Health Department 305 W. Main, Princeton, 64673 660-748-3630 —————————————————————– |
| Carroll County Health Department 5 North Ely, Carrollton, 64633 660-542-3247 —————————————————————– |
Putnam County Health Department PO Box 354103 N. 18th St., Unionville, 63565 660-947-2429 —————————————————————– |
| Chariton County Health Department 206 State Street, Keytesville 65261 660-288-3675 —————————————————————– |
Sullivan County Health Department PO Box 129, 101 Hawthorne Drive, Milan, 63556 660-265-4141 —————————————————————– |
| Daviess County Health Department 609 A South Main St., Gallatin, 64640 660-663-2414 —————————————————————– |
Walgreens Pharmacy – Dexter 904 W Business US Hwy 60, Dexter, 63841 (573) 624-7452 —————————————————————– |
| Grundy County Health Department 1716 Lincoln, Trenton, 64683 660-359-4196 —————————————————————– |
Walmart Pharmacy – Malden 1007 N Douglass St, Malden, 63863 573-276-2289 —————————————————————– |
| Harrison County Health Department 1700 Bethany Ave., Bethany, 64424 660-425-6324 —————————————————————– |
Missouri Rural Water Association – Cameron, Washington, and surrounding counties |
| Linn County Health Department PO Box 280, 635 S. Main, Brookfield, 64628 660-258-7251 |
Additional pharmacies, public health departments, police stations, and hospitals are welcome to participate. Interested parties should contact hanz@productstewardship.us to learn more. The deadline to sign up is February 1, 2025.
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Product Stewardship Institute (PSI)
PSI is a policy expert and consulting nonprofit that pioneered product stewardship in the United States — the bedrock of the circular economy. Since 2000, PSI has helped enact 141 extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws across 20 product categories in 33 states. PSI works with governments, businesses, academia, and environmental groups to ensure that products are responsibly managed from design to end of life. Join us at www.productstewardship.us.
Missouri Product Stewardship Council (MO PSC)
The MO PSC is a coalition of local governments, businesses, and other stakeholders that aim to reduce waste, increase reuse and recycling, save local governments money, and support jobs. We take a product stewardship approach, which seeks to share responsibility with product manufacturers and creates accountability for managing waste, particularly at the post-consumer stage. www.missouripsc.org