Uiwang City is expanding the ‘Apartment Useful Medicine Collection Box Installation Project’ to safely dispose of waste medicines generated in households. This project was planned to improve accessibility issues of existing collection boxes at public health centers, pharmacies, and community centers, and to remove restrictions on disposal times.

Uiwang City installed 75 waste medicine collection boxes in 21 apartment complexes in the first half of this year, and is accepting applications for additional installations until the end of August. With the installation of the collection boxes, residents will be able to safely dispose of waste medicine more conveniently.

The head of the Resource Management Division said, “If expired medicines are not properly disposed of, they can cause environmental pollution and can also lead to drug abuse,” and added, “Through this project, we hope to establish a culture of proper disposal of expired medicines and ask for active participation from citizens.” Meanwhile, Uiwang City plans to continue to expand the number of expired medicine collection boxes in the future.

[Korean Today] Photo of the collection box for discarded medicine in an apartment complex © Reporter Yoo Jong-sook

For expired medicines, △remove the packaging and collect only the contents of the pills, △keep the packaging intact for powdered medicines, △collect liquid medicines and syrups in one bottle or dispose of them as is, △discard the outer cardboard box for eye drops and ointments and only dispose of the container.

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