BRISTOL, Conn., May 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent
national study found that over half of Americans do not know what
to do with their old medications. To combat this alarming fact,
Covanta, a state leader in sustainable waste disposal partnered
with local law enforcement in Bristol, West
Hartford, Meriden and
Berlin, Connecticut to collect
unwanted and expired medications in honor of the DEA's National
Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The four events collected 7,260lbs
of material. Overall, the state collected 21 tons of medication,
which Covanta also assisted in destroying.
The four take back events gave Connecticut residents an opportunity to turn
in pharmaceuticals at designated locations within their
communities, with the assurance that the medications will be
properly handled and destroyed. After these collection
events, officers securely transport collected pharmaceuticals to
one of Covanta's waste-to-energy facilities in Bristol or Preston, where they are safely destroyed in a
combustion chamber equipped with state-of-the-art air emissions
control equipment, safeguarding the environment. The company's
environmental services division, Covanta Environmental Solutions,
also distributed mail-back envelopes to the public for future use.
This is a convenient, year-round way to mail back unwanted
medications to a DEA licensed Covanta location for proper
disposal.
"Proper handling of old or unused medication is a crucial step
in protecting children from potential drug abuse and avoiding harm
to our environment," said Ben
Gassaway, area asset manager for Covanta. "These events put
a much-needed spotlight on the dangers of keeping expired or
unwanted medications in the home while also educating people on how
to safely get rid of prescription drugs. We're proud to partner
with local law enforcement and have our waste-to-energy facilities
play a critical role in this very important initiative."
The improper disposal of old, unused medications can cause
adverse effects to ecosystems because drugs thrown in the trash
often end up in landfills or if they are flushed down the toilet,
they can leach into water systems. In addition, storing unnecessary
medications in homes can give the most vulnerable easy access to
potentially addictive medication. In fact, 80 percent of heroin
users begin their addiction with prescription opioids, according to
the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
"The Bristol Police Department
would like to extend its thanks all those who turned out for our
DEA Drug take back event on Saturday, April
24, 2021," said Bristol
Police Lieutenant Mark
Morello. "A special thanks to those who helped make it
possible: Bristol Police Youth
Cadets, Officers, Covanta and Bristol Eliminating Substance Use
Together (BEST)."
Covanta's modern Waste-to-Energy facilities in Bristol and Preston provide vital sustainable waste
management services to the state and keep waste out of landfills,
minimizing the environmental impact from the waste we generate as a
society.
"The Meriden Police Department
was honored to have had the opportunity to partner with Covanta
during Saturday's DEA Drug Take Back Event," said Meriden Police Captain John Mennone. "Amid the opioid crisis in our
communities, events like these are critical to ensuring we do all
we can to keep unwanted prescription drugs out of the hands of the
most vulnerable and out of the environment. The mail back envelopes
donated by Covanta during Saturday's event offer our citizens yet
another means to safely dispose of their unwanted medications.
Thanks again to our Officer's and Covanta."
Covanta has been providing safe disposal of medications
collected at community-sponsored, drug take-back programs for over
ten years, working with local and federal law enforcement. The
program has since evolved with Covanta Environmental Solutions
providing more convenient disposal operations such as drop-off
kiosks and mail back envelopes to pharmacies and other locations
across the United States. Learn
more about these year-round services at:
https://www.covanta.com/how-we-can-help/solutions/pharmaceutical-waste
About Covanta Environmental Solutions
Covanta Environmental Solutions, a subsidiary of Covanta
(NYSE:CVA), offers comprehensive industrial material management
services to companies seeking solutions to some of today's most
complex environmental challenges. With a nationwide network of
treatment, recycling and Waste-to-Energy facilities, Covanta
Environmental Solutions enables customers to mitigate risk and
reach their sustainability goals. For more information,
visit covantaes.com.
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SOURCE Covanta Holding Corporation