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York County Solid Waste Authority’s Police Department Medication Drop-Box Program Collects 4.2 Tons of Medications in 2016

Sixteen York County police departments currently partner with the York County Solid Waste Authority (YCSWA) to host medication take-back boxes in their police department lobbies. In 2016, the program safely collected and disposed of a total of 4.2 tons of unused and expired medications, an increase of 2.03 tons over the 2.23 tons collected in 2015.

This partnership program provides a secure disposal option for unwanted medications from residential sources at no cost to the public or to law enforcement agencies. All York County police departments have been invited to participate and the program remains open to any police departments in York County that wish to host a MedReturn box. The secure medication take-back boxes, purchased by YCSWA from MedReturn, work like a mailbox: once medications are deposited, they cannot be retrieved and are contained in a locked compartment accessible only by law enforcement. The heavy-duty green metal box can be secured to the floor and/or wall. Medications collected in the take-back box program are delivered by law enforcement to the Authority’s waste-to-energy facility for safe and complete destruction. Law enforcement also maintains the box and secures medications that are received until they can be destroyed.

Northern York County Regional Police Department was the first police department in York County to host a MedReturn take-back box. Says Chief Mark Bentzel: “This program enhances our ongoing efforts to eliminate drug abuse, provides a safe and convenient means of disposing of prescription and over the counter drugs and presents an opportunity to educate the general public about the potential for abuse of medications”.

The Authority’s waste-to-energy facility is equipped with state of the art combustion technology and air emission controls making it York County’s best waste management tool for destruction of unwanted or expired prescription or over-the-counter medication. The facility’s operator, Covanta York Renewable Energy, also supports this program.

Notes Dave Vollero, Authority Executive Director, “Using waste-to-energy technology to manage medications keeps them out of landfills and waste water treatment systems. We have long advised residents to make medications unrecognizable and unpalatable and place them out with their regular garbage for delivery to our facility. For those residents not comfortable
with placing medication out at the curb, the take-back box program offers a convenient and secure option that achieves the same results: safe management, complete destruction and production of alternative energy.”

Residents interested in dropping medication at a take-back box location should remove their personal information from containers before depositing them in boxes. ONLY RESIDENTIAL prescription or over-the-counter medications are accepted. Pharmacies, hospitals and other commercial sources of medications are not eligible to participate. Syringes and other “sharps” are not accepted in this program. The public may deposit unwanted medications anonymously in the take-back boxes during lobby hours as listed below, except on holidays.

Carroll Township Police Department, 555 Chestnut Grove Road, Dillsburg, PA. Open Monday through Friday, 8:30AM to 4:30PM

City of York Police Department, 50 West King Street, York, PA. Open Monday through Friday from 6AM to 10:30PM.

Fairview Township Police Department, 145 Limekiln Road, Suite 600, New Cumberland, PA. Open Monday through Friday from 8AM to 4:30PM.

Hanover Borough Police Department, 44 Frederick Street, Hanover, PA. Open Monday through Friday from 8AM to 4:30PM.

Hellam Township Police Department, 44 Walnut Springs Road, York, PA. Open Monday through Friday from 8AM to 4:30PM.

Newberry Township Police Department, 1905 Old Trail Road, Etters, PA. Open Monday through Friday from 8:30AM to 4:30PM.

Northeastern Regional Police Department, 5570 Board Road, Mount Wolf, PA. Open Monday through Friday from 7:30AM to 4PM.

Northern York County Regional Police Department, 1445 East Canal Road, Dover, PA. Open Monday through Friday from 8AM to 4:30PM.

Penn Township Police Department, 20 Wayne Avenue, Hanover, PA. Open Monday through Friday from 8AM to 4:30PM.

Southern Regional Police Department, 47 E. High Street, New Freedom, PA. Open Monday through Friday from 8AM to 4PM.

Southwestern Regional Police Department, 6115 Thoman Drive, Spring Grove, PA. Open Monday through Friday from 8AM to 4:30PM.

Spring Garden Township Police Department, 340 Tri Hill Road in Spring Garden Township. Open Monday through Friday from 8AM to 4:30PM.

Springettsbury Township Police Department, 1501 Mount Zion Road, York, PA. Open Monday through Friday from 8AM to 5PM.

West Manchester Township Police Department, 380 East Berlin Road, York, PA. Open Monday through Friday from 8AM to 4:30PM.

West York Borough Police Department, 1700 West Philadelphia Street, York, PA. Open Monday through Friday, 9AM to 4:30PM

York Area Police Department, 33 Oak Street, York, PA. Open Monday through Friday from 8AM to 5PM.

For more information about the program, visit the Authority’s web site at: www.ycswa.com. The Authority facilitates responsible solid waste management through an integrated system that emphasizes waste reduction, reuse, recycling and resource recovery. The Authority is the owner of the York County Resource Recovery Center in Manchester Township. The Resource Recovery Center manages York County’s household and commercial waste, as well as some manufacturing waste.

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