The Greensboro Police Department has secure medication collection boxes that offer community members a safe way to dispose of unwanted or expired medications. Proper disposal of medications can help prevent overdoses, deaths, addiction, and can prevent environmental pollution.

GPD has three secure collection boxes located in the lobbies of the following substations for unwanted prescription pills or capsules.

100 Police Plaza in downtown Greensboro (Available 24/7)
300 S. Swing Rd. (Available 8 am to 5 pm Mondays through Fridays)
1106 Maple St.   (Available 8 am to 5 pm Mondays through Fridays)

Items that CAN be dropped in GPD collection boxes includes
~ EpiPens
~ Prescription pills
~ Patches
~ Capsules in resealable, zippered plastic bags (no loose pills, please). 

We CANNOT accept the following items in the collection boxes:
~Over-The-Counter drugs
~ Liquids
~ Pill bottles
~ Sharps or Syringes/Lancets/Needles (EpiPens are permitted)
~ Medication containers and packaging 
~ Bio medical waste
~ Illegal street drugs

Do not flush medicines unless it’s an emergency. 

Alternative methods to dispose of sharps, syringes, lancets, needles (never place loose needles/syringes in the trash)

Mail-back Programs
Mail-back disposal programs allow home sharps users to mail used sharps to licensed disposal facilities as a safe disposal option. Such programs charge a fee for this service. Check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist, or search the yellow pages or Internet using key words “sharps mail-back”.

Needle Destruction Devices (that bend, break, incinerate or shear needles) a destruction device that incinerates needles can be used at home. These small, portable devices use a few seconds of high heat to melt needles and reduce them to BB-size balls. A needle cutter automatically stores cut needles in a small refuse reservoir. Once the sharp is destroyed by heat or cutting, you can place the remains in a sealed container such as a detergent bottle and place it in your household trash (not recycling). 

Syringe Exchange Programs (SEP)
Sharps users can safely exchange used needles for new needles. Contact the North American Syringe Exchange Network at 253-272-4857.

Never place loose needles and syringes in the trash!

To dispose of biomedical waste (bloody bandages, disposable sheets and pads, gloves, and dialysis machine filters, for example) Double-bag the contaminated item in standard plastic garbage bags and securely fasten them. This material may then be combined with other household garbage for disposal.

To dispose of illegal street drugs
If you find illegal drugs, call 336-373-2222. An officer or CSI will pick them up.

To anonymously report the sale or use of illegal street drugs, contact Crime Stoppers 336-373-1000 or submit an anonymous online e-tip.