• Common examples of toxics
• Household Toxics Facility
• Community Toxics Collections
• Toxics Rover Pickup
• Business toxics disposal

Motor Oil

• Search for motor oil/filter drop-off locations
• Curbside motor oil recycling

Special Wastes

• Electronics
• Fluorescent lamps/CFLs
• Household batteries
• Medications/pharmaceuticals
• Mercury thermostats
• Paint
• Syringes/needles
• Treated wood

Related topics

• Less toxic pest management

Medications/pharmaceuticals

Are unused and expired medications filling up your medicine cabinet?
Studies show that pharmaceuticals in rivers and streams, if present at high enough concentrations, can harm aquatic wildlife. When flushed down the drain, some medications are not completely removed by wastewater treatment plants. Proper disposal of unused pharmaceuticals can help protect the environment.

To address this issue, the Russian River Watershed Association (RRWA) is partnering with local agencies, pharmacies and law enforcement offices to provide Safe Medicine Disposal Program locations in the Russian River Watershed.

Items accepted for disposal include:

• Prescription and over-the-counter pills and capsules
• Liquid medications, including ointments, lotions and creams (in sealed containers please!)
• Veterinary medications
• Vitamins, supplements, homeopathic remedies
• Medical patches
• Inhalers (empty)
• Medical samples

Items NOT accepted include:

• Controlled substances (Contact your local law enforcement agency regarding the disposal of controlled substances.) For a list of controlled substances, visit the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration
• Chemotherapy drugs
• IV bags
• Bloody or infectious waste
• Personal care products (body lotion, shampoo etc.)
• Aerosol cans
• Epi-pens and other needles/sharps
• Thermometers
• Illegal drugs
• Medical marijuana
• Any other waste or medication not listed under “Items Accepted”

How to handle your medication that is ready for disposal:

Pills & Capsules

• Remove all pills and capsules from containers and pour into a re-sealable plastic baggie.
• Recycle empty pill containers at home in the blue recycling cart

Liquids, Ointments, Creams & Lotions

• Black out personal information on label.
• Leave liquid, lotion, ointment or cream in the original container.
• Place container into a re-sealable plastic baggie and then into the medical waste collection bin.

Medication Patches & Sample Packets

• Black out personal information on label.
• Place blister packs containing pills or capsules directly into the collection bin.
• Place patches directly into collection bin.

Questions:

City of Santa Rosa
(707) 543-3369

Russian River Watershed Association
(707)  833-2553  

Sonoma County Water Agency
(707) 547-1900

1. Drop-off options: for residents

Cloverdale

Cloverdale Pharmacy - Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
790 S. Cloverdale Boulevard
(707) 894-4414
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

CVS Pharmacy
1111 S. Cloverdale Blvd.
(707) 894-5206
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Cotati

Oliver's Market- Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
546 E. Cotati Ave.
(707) 285-2550
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Walgreens Pharmacy
7800 Old Redwood Hwy.
(707) 795-6014
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Guerneville

Lark Drugs Guerneville-Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
16251 Main Street
(707) 869-9055
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Healdsburg

CVS Pharmacy
455 Center St.
(707) 433-3357
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Healdsburg Police Station-Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
238 Center Street
(707)  431-3377
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Rite Aid
525 Healdsburg Ave.
(707) 431-1119
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Petaluma

CVS Pharmacy- E. Washington St.
365 East Washington St.
(707) 778-6722
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

CVS Pharmacy- North McDowell
291 North McDowell Blvd.
(707) 778-6081
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

The Medicine Shoppe-Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
300 Washington Street
(707) 778-6363
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Rohnert Park

Costco Pharmacy-Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
5901 Redwood Drive
(707) 540-9112
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

CVS Pharmacy
6378 Commerce Blvd.
(707) 586-3491
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Santa Rosa

Costco Pharmacy-Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
1900 Santa Rosa Avenue
(707) 578-1711
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Creekside Pharmacy-Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
95 Montgomery Dr.
(707) 525-1130
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

CVS Phamacy-Yulupa Ave.
2700 Yulupa Ave.
(707) 545-7711
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

CVS Pharmacy--Fourth St.
2771 Fourth St.
(707) 528-1151
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

CVS Pharmacy- Mendocino Ave.
2075 Mendocino Blvd.
(707) 542-4480
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

CVS Pharmacy- Stony Point Rd.
463 Stony Point Rd.
(707) 526-7821
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Dollar Drug-Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
1055 West College Avenue
(707) 575-1313
 Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Kaiser Permanente Emergency Department Lobby- Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
401 Bicentennial Way
(707) 393-4000
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Oliver's Market- Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
560 Montecito Center
(707) 537-7123
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Oliver's Market- Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
461 Stony Point Rd.
(707) 284-3530
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Rite Aid- Farmers Ln.
1551 Farmers Ln
(707) 544-4050
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Rite Aid- Marlow Rd.
1793 Marlow Rd
(707) 544-8875
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Rite Aid- Stony Point Rd.
955 Stony Point Rd.
(707) 526-3015
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Santa Rosa Police Department-Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
965 Sonoma Avenue
(707) 543-3600
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Santa Rosa Senior Center- Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
704 Bennett Valley Rd.
(707) 545-8609
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Tuttles Doyle Park Pharmacy-Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
1220 Sonoma Avenue
(707) 546-9090
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Tuttles Hoen Pharmacy-Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
4731 Hoen Avenue
(707) 528-4511
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Walgreens Pharmacy- Santa Rosa Marlow Rd.
3093 Marlow Rd.
(707) 569-8504
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Walgreens Pharmacy-Sonoma Hwy.
4610 Sonoma Hwy.
(707) 538-9275
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Sebastopol

CVS Pharmacy
788 Gravenstein Hwy. North
(707) 823-7062
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Rite Aid
218 N Main St.
(707) 829-3007
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Sebastopol Hardware Center-Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
660 Gravenstein Highway North
(707) 823-7688
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Sebastopol Senior Center-Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
167 North High Street
(707) 829-2440
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Sonoma

CVS Pharmacy
201 West Napa St.
(707) 938-4730
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Rite Aid
19205 Sonoma Hwy.
(707) 938-0281
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Windsor

CVS Pharmacy
9030 Brooks Rd. S.
(707) 837-8858
Mail-back and fee ($3.99 fee for postage-paid envelopes): unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

Health First! Pharmacy-Safe Medicine Disposal Program location
9070 Windsor Road
(707) 837-7948
Drop-off: unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. No controlled substances.

2. Dispose of medications, excluding controlled substances, through the Agency's Hazardous Waste programs: for residents & businesses

For residents
Household Toxics Facility
Community Toxics Collections
Toxic Rover Pickup Service

For businesses
Household Toxics Facility
Community Toxics Collections