Medication and Hazardous Waste Collections Taking Place on Saturday

The Winchester Board of Health will sponsor two events this Saturday aimed at cleaning out your garage and your medicine cabinet. The annual and will both take place on April 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m, rain or shine.

The drug take-back will be held at the parking lot, off Swanton Street. Hazardous waste will be collected down the road at the   yard on McKay Avenue.

“It’s an incentive to clear out unwanted medication from the medicine cabinets,” said Winchester Health Director Jennifer Murphy. Of particular interest are frequently abused drugs like Oxycodone, she said, but another goal of the take-back is to avoid having seniors make a mistake in their medication or take expired medication.

“There’s obviously the substance abuse aspect, but there’s also the environmental piece,” Murphy said. “We don’t want people to flush medication down the toilet because it affects the ecosystem and goes into the waterways. So it’s a twofold mission in doing this.”

This is the third drug take-back event held in Winchester, and Murphy said past events have been successful, collecting everything from fertility drugs to topical ointments. They will take a wide range of prescription and non-prescription items, but will not accept sunscreen, cosmetics, contact lens solution, and toothpaste. For more information on accepted items, check the or call the Board of Health at 781-721-7121.

Anyone unable to make it to the medication collection day may dispose of unwanted medication at the kiosk, available in the Police Station lobby 24 hours a day.

Unlike medication, hazardous waste collection is only offered once a year in Winchester. The free Hazardous Waste Collection Day event allows residents to dispose of up to 25 gallons of paints or stains, pesticides, solvents, swimming pool chemicals, non-alkaline batteries, and more.

Last year, about 300 cars come through the DPW yard for the toxic waste collection, according to Murphy. She noted this is a good turnout but they would like to see more people take advantage of the program.

“I strongly encourage people to seize the opportunity to clean out their homes and garages,” Murphy said.

For a list of which items will and won’t be accepted, as well as tips on how to transport hazardous materials, see the .