LCA on the Disposal of Unused Medications

The full research article that quantifies the environmental impacts associated with the disposal options for unused, unwanted, and expired medications can be found here in Environmental Science & Technology:  Life Cycle Comparison of Environmental Emissions from Three Disposal Options for Unused Pharmaceuticals.

Our research shows that the disposal of unused medications in the trash can provide consumers with the ability to immediately and conveniently remove medications from their households while resulting in similar environmental emissions of pharmaceutical compounds but significantly less emissions of other polluting substances, such as greenhouse gases, compared to "take-back" programs.

We are hoping that this blog will serve as a central location for the discussion of this study, both the research methods and the impacts of its results and conclusions.