WASTE & RECYCLING NEWS POLL

Pharmaceuticals are a prime candidate for Extended Producer Responsibility. Let the manufacturers establish (most likely working with their wholesale and retail partners) a convenient take-back system that allows consumers to return unused, unwanted and out-of-date pharmaceuticals. Costs should be internalized in product pricing and drugs should be kept out of wastewater and solid waste systems as much as possible.

Tom Padia
Source Reduction & Recycling Director
StopWaste.Org
Alameda County, CA

NO...let free enterprise handle this matter. I can´t believe the social attitude my fellow solid waste friends are showing. It can be a very lucrative business...keep the jurisdictions out of the mix. Thanks, Leonard Vinci from Alamo, California

Leonard Vinci
Principle/Owner
Innovative Waste Solutions
Alamo, CA

The local police is the best agency to handle the takebacks since any drug they collect must be incinerated. Also the local police can provide security to prevent thief of the used drugs.

Laura Gimpelson
LG Environmental Engineering

I believe pharmaceutical "take-backs" would be much more effective (in preventing flushing and landfilling of drugs) if the programs would be "no questions asked" and would not require "original" containers. Some folks don´t want their name on things; others want to re-use pill bottles. They should be able to dump pills into one drum and pour liquids into another if they prefer. Since the drugs cannot be re-used, why do they need to know what they are getting? Isn´t it all either placed in a hazmat landfill or incinerated? It should also be a way for parents to get rid of any "funny stuff" they find in their kids´ rooms, etc.

James Crouse
Fort Wayne IN

All phamaceuticals should be returned to the local pharmacy and from there to a proper industry sponsored destruction facility where they will not harm the environment and be properly disposed of.

Tom Boushel
V.P.
VQuip Inc
Montreal

In the same manner that electronic manufacturers are now taking responsibility for their products by recycling, the same should hold true for the Pharmaceutical Companies. This should not be an additional expense that the taxpayers need to chip in for to get rid of unused pharmaceuticals. They have made ample profit and should be held accountable. The manufacturers would know better than anyone how to appropriately dispose of their products.

Lois Hollywood
Director of Environmental Services
NYS
Poughkeepsie, NY

I am very pleased to see the common sense NO´s are gaining on the dreamer YES´s. Leonard Vinci

Leonard Vinci
Principle/Owner
Innovative Waste Solutions
Alamo, CA

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