Ever wonder where you can dispose of expired or unwanted
medication? You can drop them off at the Valley Health Center in
Gilroy located on the corner of Camino Arroyo and Gilman
Street.
“Ever wonder where you can dispose of expired or unwanted medication? You can drop them off at the Valley Health Center in Gilroy located on the corner of Camino Arroyo and Gilman Street. There is a dropoff box located to the left of the entrance. It would be helpful if all pharmacies in this area would post this information.”
Red Phone: Dear Out Of Chill Pills, Thanks for letting readers know about this location where people can drop off their unwanted medication.
Local pharmacies don’t accept medication, but the Valley Health Center, located at 7475 Camino Arroyo, does.
The Santa Clara Household Hazardous Waste Program, which has a dropoff location in San Martin, not only accepts used medications, but also accepts many other types of hazardous wastes. They request you call 299-7300 to let them know exactly what you have and set up a time to drop off the items.
While many people don’t think twice before throwing away medications that have expired or are no longer needed, these can contain harmful compounds that can interfere with other organisms. We don’t want any toads developing warts or anything.
The Environmental Protection Agency warns that you should never flush medications down a toilet or drain. If you need to get rid of them, the EPA recommends disposing them in the original container with your name and prescription number marked out.
For pills, add a liquid inside the bottle to help them start to dissolve. And for liquids, you can place something nonedible inside such as cat litter or dirt. Close the container with duct tape and place it inside an opaque container such as a detergent container and put it in the trash can and not the recycling container.
Trees need trimming
“Hi, I was wondering who takes care of the trees along the streets in Gilroy. There is a tree along Rosanna and First streets that hangs way over, and you have to drive through it to turn right onto First Street. There are also some trees to the left in front of Young Learning Company that need to be trimmed back because you can’t turn left because you can’t see down the street.”
Red Phone: Dear Blinded By Branches, The intersections you mentioned should be a little safer soon. City maintenance crews plan to schedule a time to go out there and trim the trees in the next two weeks, said John Greer, the senior maintenance worker. So let the Red Phone know if they continue to be a problem.
