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  2. Household Medication Disposal

Map of Commercial Waste Combustors in the U.S.

EPA developed this map of commercial waste combustors primarily for law enforcement agencies that have installed kiosks for year-round collection of household pharmaceuticals, as well as community organizers of pharmaceutical take-back events (which must include law enforcement). Drug Enforcement Administration regulations require that collected household pharmaceuticals be destroyed in a manner that meets DEA’s non-retrievable standard. DEA has indicated that incineration meets its non-retrievable standard of destruction. This map includes the types of incinerators that law enforcement may use to comply with EPA and DEA regulations for the destruction of collected household pharmaceuticals.

Although law enforcement is not required to meet the DEA regulations that apply to DEA registrants, the DEA regulations state, "Any controlled substances collected by law enforcement through a take-back event, mail-back program, or collection receptacle should be transferred to a destruction location in a manner that prevents the diversion of controlled substances." Read Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations section 1317.35, Collection by Law Enforcement. As a result, EPA assumes that law enforcement will also choose to meet DEA’s non-retrievable standard of destruction for the household pharmaceuticals it collects to prevent the diversion of the controlled substances.

EPA encourages law enforcement to use common carriers to ship the collected household pharmaceuticals by purchasing take-back liners and outer packaging that is Department of Transportation-compliant to a DEA-registered reverse distributor that either has a permitted combustor or will bring the pharmaceuticals to a permitted combustor on their behalf. For additional details about how this works, read page five of the 2018 EPA memorandum addressed to law enforcement. Please note that this memorandum has been partially superseded by the Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals Final Rule. Household waste pharmaceuticals collected by healthcare facilities or reverse distributors as part of a pharmaceutical take-back program continue to be exempt from Resource Conservation and Recovery Act regulation as household hazardous waste, provided their destruction meets the conditions for exemption in 40 CFR Section 266.506(b).

However, if a combustor is nearby, it may be more cost-effective for law enforcement to drive the collected household pharmaceuticals to a combustor. The map is intended for law enforcement agencies to determine whether it is feasible to drive collected household pharmaceuticals to a commercial waste combustor versus simply purchasing take-back liners/outer packaging and shipping the collected household pharmaceuticals to a DEA-registered reverse distributor via common carriers.

Use the buttons in the legend to choose the specific types of facilities you would like to display.

Explanation of legend acronyms:

  • HW combustor = hazardous waste combustor
  • MW combustor = large and small municipal waste combustor
  • HMIW incinerator = hospital, medical, and infectious waste incinerator
  • CISW incinerator = commercial and industrial solid waste incinerator

Notes:

  • Commercial waste combustors are those that are allowed to accept waste from off site. Note, however, that some of these combustors may not be permitted to accept collected household pharmaceuticals, or they may choose not to accept them. Contact the individual facility about its policy before sending a shipment.

  • The Southeast Resource Recovery Facility located at 120 Pier S Avenue, City of Long Beach, California, closed as of January 31, 2024. Find out more.

  • Stericycle, Inc., Haw River is now known as Curtis Bay Medical Waste Services. Access the new website for this facility.

  • The Translnd CISWI at 1711 Coxendale Rd, Chester, Virginia is no longer in operation.

  • Boeing Development Center in Tukwila, Washington, no longer has a combustor.

  • Inclusion on this list does not imply an EPA endorsement or recommendation to use any particular facility. 

  • Access the Background Data for this Map (xlsx) (33.15 KB) .

Household Medication Disposal

  • Basics
  • Safe Storage of Medicines in the Home
  • What to Do with Unwanted Household Medicines
  • Safe Needle Disposal for Households
  • For Retail Pharmacies, Hospitals, and Clinics with Take-Back Kiosks
  • For Law Enforcement Agencies
  • For Community Organizations that Sponsor Collections
  • For Hospitals, Pharmacies, and other Businesses with Unwanted Medicines
  • Frequent Questions About Collected Household Medicines
  • Map of Commercial Waste Combustors in the U.S.
  • Guidance and Relevant Websites
Contact Us About Household Medication Disposal
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on April 15, 2025
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