Medicine Disposal and Collection

Properly disposing of unused, unwanted, or old medications helps prevent medicines from being taken by others and protects our environment. Never flush or pour unused or expired medicine down the drain. Water reclamation facilities are not designed to remove all of them, and trace amounts of pharmaceuticals are showing up in rivers and lakes around the world. 

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Drop Box Locations

In the city of Milwaukee, medications may be taken 24/7 to disposal drop boxes at Milwaukee Police Districts 2 through 7, as well as the Milwaukee Municipal Court site (951 N. James Lovell St.) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.  See our Police Districts page for locations.

For disposal locations outside the city of Milwaukee, please visit the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District website.

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Mail-Back Program: Envelope Pick-up Locations

FREE postage-paid drug-disposal envelopes are available to area residents for the disposal of unwanted or expired prescriptions. Empty the contents of your unwanted or expired prescription drug vials into the secure envelope, seal it, and place it in the mail.

Pick up an envelope at any of these CVS Pharmacy Locations:

• 7550 W. Perkins Place, Milwaukee, WI 53216
• 3860 S. 27th St., Milwaukee, WI 53221
• 1316 W. Forest Home Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53204
• 1650 Farwell Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53202
• 6330 N. 76th St., Milwaukee, WI 53218
• 2607 N. Downer Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53211
• 5929 W. Lisbon Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53210
• 3030 W. Villard Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53209
• 5740 S. Packard Ave., Cudahy, WI 53110
• Inside Target, 2950 S. Chase Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53207

Milwaukee Police Department, for District locations please click here.

Cudahy Police Department, 5050 S. Lake Drive, Cudahy, WI 53110

Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, 260 W. Seeboth St., Milwaukee, WI 53204

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Disposal Guidelines

Prior to dropping off or mailing medications, please follow these guidelines:

• The drop boxes and mailing envelopes are for household medications. Medications from medical businesses or clinics are not accepted at these locations.

• For drop-box disposal, it is recommended that unused pills be transferred to a clear plastic bag. For mail-in disposal, empty the contents of pill bottles into the secure envelope. You do not have to take individual pills out of plastic pillow or bubble packaging. 

• Empty pill bottles or containers may go into your recycling bin or the garbage.

DISPOSE OF:	Prescription medications, patches, ointments Over-the-counter medications, patches, ointments Non-aerosol medical sprays and vials Pet medications
DO NOT PLACE IN DROP BOXES OR MAIL-IN ENVELOPES:	Illegal drugs Needles/sharps (click here for medical sharps guidance) Bio-hazardous material (anything containing a bodily fluid or blood) Inhalers Aerosol cans Personal care products (shampoo, soaps, lotions, sunscreens, etc.)       Household hazardous waste (paint, pesticides, oil, gas)