Take It To The Box Drop-off Locations
McLeod County Sheriff’s Office maintains three locations for safe medication disposal through the Take It To The Box program. This no-cost service for users is available 24 hours a day, 365 days per year at the following locations:
McLeod County Sheriff's Office: external secured drop box mounted on garage door located on South side of the Law Enforcement Center
Hutchinson Police Department: internal secured drop box posted in lobby
Winsted City Hall: internal secured drop box posted in vestibule
Accepted Medications
Unneeded and expired medications pose a risk for misuse, accidental ingestion and poisoning, theft, and abuse. Medications need to be disposed of property to prevent pollution and groundwater contamination. Safely dispose of outdated and unused medications for free at one of the three locations listed above. The medications are secured and delivered to a special facility for appropriate disposal; this service is funded through allocated dollars from County department budget dollars, and uses supplemental grant funds when available.
What is Take It To The Box ?
The Take It To The Box program promotes the safe use, safe storage, and the safe disposal of unneeded, unusable, or expired medication.
The McLeod County community and McLeod Education and Drug Awareness, MEADA, are serious about preventing medication misuse, abuse and environmentally safe disposal of unneeded medication. Safe medication disposal helps reduce such risks. Contact
MEADA with an email or check out their
Facebook page.
How should I get my medicine ready to drop off in The Box?
Medicine should be left in their original container with the label. If the medicine is a prescription, use a marker to cross off your name. Leave all other information on the container.
What kinds of medicine can go into The Box?
Any prescription and over-the-counter medicine can be placed in The Box.
What about syringes, needles or “sharps”?
These items can NOT go in The Box. Talk to your pharmacist about syringe disposal options and products that are available.
Household chemicals like glues, paints and other inhalants can be used to get high. Can these chemicals go in The Box?
No. You are encouraged to store these kinds of chemicals in a safe, out-of-reach location.
Can “inhalers” be put in The Box?
Yes. Inhalers used with various medicines can be dropped in The Box for disposal.
What do I do with medicine that has expired?
Expired medicines are accepted in The Box.
I know someone who has a large amount of unneeded medication but is unable to bring it in for disposal. Can I drop off someone else’s medication?
Yes. If needed, friends or family members may bring medication to The Box for someone else. Please call if you have a question about this.
What happens to the medicine dropped into The Box?
The Box will be emptied as needed. Contents are stored in a secured locations. Periodically, law enforcement and a chemist from a qualified disposal company will sort the medication. Medicines will then be taken to a licensed site to be incinerated.
Who pays for the medication disposal?
Take It To The Box is a very cost effective program. Funding has come from: local law enforcement agencies, McLeod County Solid Waste, a Drug Free Communities grant and a grant from the United Way. There is NO charge to individuals when medications are dropped off at Take It To The Box locations.
