Macomb County Helps Seniors Shred Personal Papers, Properly Dispose of Meds

Macomb County senior citizens can dispose of unwanted medications and sensitive personal information for free Thursday at a document-shredding and medication-collection event at the VerKuilen Building in Clinton Township.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Thursday at the VerKuilen Building parking lot, 21885 Dunham Rd., Clinton Township.

There will be health department officials and a Macomb County Sheriff’s deputy on hand to assist residents in disposing of their unwanted medications–including narcotics.

While many medicines can be thrown away in the household trash or flushed down the sink or toilet, not all medicines can be disposed of in this way. In addition, at-home disposal requires a series of additional precautions be taken so as to reduce the chance that someone may accidentally take the medicine, according to the FDA.

For residents unfamiliar with the correct disposal method, the FDA recommends government drug take-back programs like the one scheduled for Thursday.

Health department officials on-site will ensure that these medications are disposed of properly so as not to contaminate drinking water or fall into the wrong hands. 

To participate in Thursday’s event, residents must remove pills from their bottles and place them in a plastic bag. Controlled substances such as narcotic painkillers and stimulants will be accepted at this site, but Macomb County officials say these substances must be kept in a separate plastic bag.

In addition to a drug take-back, the Macomb County Senior Citizen Services Department is partnering with Absolute Shreds, a mobile shredding company, to shred any unwanted personal documents of seniors.

By shredding unwanted personal documents in this method, seniors can prevent identity theft and keep financial information private.

The program is for Macomb County residents age 60 and older. Shredding is limited to four, 2-by-1-foot boxes of materials per person.

For more information on the correct disposal of household and prescription medications, visit the FDA website.