Covanta’s Prescription for Safety Program (Rx4Safety) provides for the safe disposal and destruction of medications collected at community events. Since its launch in 2010, Rx4Safety has safely destroyed more than four million pounds of unwanted medications, with almost one million pounds destroyed in 2016 alone.

We launched this program in response to evidence of prescription drug abuse as well as pollution in our waterways. Rx4Safety disposal is offered free of charge to residential take-back programs conducted in conjunction with local law enforcement. Our EfW facilities enable us to recover energy from the disposal of prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, veterinary medications and nutritional supplements while assuring destruction of complex organic pollutants, preventing their release into the environment.

Through a broad range of partnerships—including with the Department of Justice, local police forces, state-level administrators and environmental groups—we’ve helped build a powerful coalition to address a serious social and environmental concern. These partnerships have enabled us to make substantial progress in eliminating pharmaceuticals from improper use and disposal in the communities we serve.