Takes in more than 1,700 pounds of medications
Susan Jenkins, executive director of BRiDGES, Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse fills syringe containers during the Pill Take Back Program at the Madison County Landfill site on Buyea Road April 27. The program has been held in the spring and fall since September of 2009. The April 27 event took in 1,740 pounds of medication – an all-time record.
RSVP Volunteers and Madison County Deputy Chad Chapman unloaded 27 feed bags full of old and unusable medication during the Pill Take Back Program on April 27 at the Buyea Road Landfill. (Photos by Sharon Driscoll)
(Town of Lincoln, NY – May 2013
) Madison County’s Pill Take Back program, held April 27 at the Madison County Landfill, took in 1,740 pounds of medication.
“This is an all-time record for a one day event here in Madison County,” said Sharon Driscoll, Recycling Coordinator. “We have been conducting Pill Take Back programs since September of 2009 and our grand total as of Sept. 9, 2012 was 2,158.74 pounds of medication, which included the 248.02 pounds collected at the new drug kiosk at the County Office Building from May to September.
Since the Drug Kiosk at the county office building opened in May of 2012 the pill collection at the landfill dropped slightly. However, totals soared on April 27 when an environmentally minded couple from the New Woodstock area arrived at the pill collection with 27 feed bags full of medication. They recently purchased a farm in the southern part of Madison County and were in the process of cleaning out the barn when they discovered this cache of medication.
Not knowing what to do with it they called the Department of Solid Waste and spoke with Director James A. Zecca. He told them their timing was impeccable as the Pill Take Back program was being held at the landfill on April 27.
The couple is not sure, but thought a lot of what they found was for farm animals, perhaps belonging to a veterinarian; although, there was cough medicine, vitamins among the mix.
“We thank them for doing the right thing,” said Zecca.
According to Deputy Chad Chapman, who was overseeing the Pill Take Back program and was tasked with weighing the medication collected, 320 pounds came from the drug kiosk, 280 pounds was collected at the Pill Take Back program, along with approximately 1,040 from the New Woodstock couple – for a grand total of 1,740 pounds.
“Our sincere thanks go out to all of the RSVP volunteers who are the nuts and bolts of this program,” Zecca said. “We could not make it work without their help. Also, thanks to the folks from BRiDGES, the landfill staff and Jill Miano, who runs the Reuse Store at the Buyea Road Landfill site and her son Logan Raufer. A special thank you goes out to Deputy Chapman of the Madison County Sheriff’s Department. Your help and assistance was invaluable. “
The next pill take back program will be held in September; watch your weekly newspapers for the exact date.