Proper Disposal of Unwanted Medicine

what’s the problem?

Unwanted and expired medicine may be a risk to human health and the environment if disposed of improperly. Traditionally, expired or unwanted prescriptions or over-the-counter medicine from households were disposed of by flushing them down the toilet or pouring them down the drain.

DO NOT FLUSH!  This method of disposal is now discouraged.

 Keeping prescription and over-the-counter medicines out of the environment is an important way to prevent pollution. After being flushed or poured down a drain, many medicines pass through sewer and septic systems. Because these systems cannot always treat or remove the medicines, they may end up in streams, lakes and groundwater. This can cause adverse effects in fish and other aquatic wildlife as well as unintentional human exposure to chemicals in the medications.

To learn more, go to:

http://www.epa.gov/ppcp/

or

http://lakesideviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/do-not-flush-medicine-message-goes-big.html

and to:

http://www.iiseagrant.org/gros/meddisposal.html

In observance of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week Oct. 23-29, Cardinal Environmental, 3303 Paine Ave., Sheboygan, will offer a “Prevention Week Special” by screening (for lead only) any customer-collected water sample for $15.

http://www.sheboyganpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011110190351

 

“A filter will give you better water quality,” says Pauli Undesser, director of regulatory and technical affairs with the Water Quality Association. Filters remove chlorine added to disinfect the water and so it may taste better. A filter will also remove metals like lead and copper that may have entered the water supply via underground pipelines or your home’s plumbing, as well as pharmaceuticals, pesticides and other potentially harmful unregulated compounds. Look for a filter labeled with a gold seal by the Water Quality Association or the NSF International mark: both certify water-treatment products to ensure contaminant reduction and product integrity.

That said, American drinking water is quite safe. The EPA sets drinking-water standards for public water supplies and the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments require that all community water systems distribute to their customers an annual water-quality report listing contaminant levels detected in the water. If you are one of the 15 percent of Americans with a private well, the EPA has information on how to ensure your water is safe (epa.gov/safewater/privatewells). As for bottled water, the FDA requires that it meet the same standards as tap water.

Hi everyone,  hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend.  I spent sometime on line and found an interesting article.  Hope you find it interesting also.   Thanks to the NFS and their continued work.

http://www.nsf.org/business/newsroom/press_releases/press_release.asp?p_id=22869

In 1988, the AWWA joined with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the League of Women Voters, and the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators to form a coalition to bring attention to the nation’s drinking water supply. With the help of Representative Robert Roe and Senator Dennis DeConcini, who sponsored a joint resolution, Congress named the first week of May as National Drinking Water Week.

Today, thousands of citizens from across the United States and Canada celebrate National Drinking Water Week. Public and private water utilities sponsor many fun activities and provide a wide array of educational services to their customers. Check out the two links below for more information on this topic. This week is also a good time to have your well water tested to see if is safe for drinking.

Check out the links for more information:
http://www.awwa.org/government/content.cfm?itemnumber=44766&navitemnumber=3863

http://www.nsf.org/consumer/drinking_water/dw_water_week.asp?program=WaterTre

Groundwater awareness. More than 90 percent of all U.S. public drinking water systems use ground water. Learn more about your drinking water and what you can do to help protect your community’s ground water.
http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/awarenessweek.cfm

Follow the quiz and see the impact you have on the planet.

http://earthday.net/footprint2/index.html

Cell Phone Recycling Don’t Trash Your Cell Phone — Recycle It!

Help keep toxic metals out of the environment.

　

http://earth911.com/news/2010/04/05/its-national-cell-phone-recycling-week/  

Why Should you Recycle Your Cell Phone?

The potential human health and environmental impacts of cell phone waste is grim. 

Cell phones are potentially hazardous waste because they contain lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic. If thrown in the trash and sent to incinerators or landfills, environmental contamination can occur from combustion and leaching into soil and groundwater. Sadly, less than 2% of old cell phones are being recycled today — we are calling on the public to help raise the profile of this important issue! 

Some alarming facts about cell phones you might not know: 

• The EPA estimates cell phones will be thrown away at a rate of 130 million a year by 2005 that equals 65,000 tons of waste containing toxic metals!
• There are more than 500 million used cell phones in the U.S. sitting in people’s drawers or in our landfills.

 

The phones can be recycled and sent to areas with economic necessity. Some phones are also refurbished and given to those who are in need of 911, emergency only, communications. “Cell phones contain many toxins and are very hazardous to our environment and they should not end up in landfills.” 

WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH YOUR OLD CELL PHONE? 

Recycle at Cardinal Environmental 

3303 Paine Avenue 

Sheboygan, WI 53081 
Cardinal Environmental is collecting used cell phones on an on-going basis for the benefit of  The Evolution Youth Organization who will receive a monetary donation for each phone received.  All cell phones, regardless of age or condition, will be accepted. Make certain to deactivate your phone as well.
To learn more about charitable recycling, visit 

www.charitablerecycling.com
Recycle it and you’ll help Mother Nature and those in need of emergency communication.

 

  

 

 

News article about Cardinal Environmental’s focus on the environment and the company’s continued success

Corp Report Profile article

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, October 25-31, 2009

Since 1996 more than 44,000 children in Wisconsin have been identified with lead poisoning. In 2008, the number was more than 1,600 children–an average of 4 children identified with lead poisoning per day.

Lead from old paint poisons children and reduces their future potential. The harm is devastating to our communities and society as a whole; it is entirely preventable.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a new Renovation, Repair and Painting (RR&P) Rule that affects child care centers, schools and homes built before 1978. The rule requires that a certified renovator conduct the renovation and that the occupants of the dwelling being renovated receive the EPA Renovate Right pamphlet from the contractor. The rule also requires that parents of children under age 6 who attend a child care center or school must be notified of any renovation activity and that the contractor is properly certified.

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is October 25 – 31, 2009. This year’s theme for Wisconsin is “Be Proactive, not Reactive–Renovate Right!” We want to focus on reaching out to targeted audiences in our communities, such as parents, child care providers, and school personnel to engage them in following this new RR&P Rule to protect children while renovating old housing.

Lead hurts kids and we want to prevent exposure before it happens. That is unacceptable!   On-Line Resources for Information on the Treatment and Prevention of Lead Poisoning  dhs.wisconsin.gov/lead

The DHS Lead-Safe Wisconsin website has information on the status of lead poisoning in Wisconsin, ways to treat and ways to prevent the disease. Data, maps, facts, information pamphlets, and much more can be found at dhs.wisconsin.gov/lead

 Some items of interest:

 Lead poisoning risk factors in Wisconsin: socio-economic status, racial and ethnic disparities, age of child, and age of primary residence of lead-poisoned children.   dhs.wisconsin.gov/lead/lpsurveillancle/index.HTM

Information that can be provided to families include the following: 

ü The brochure titled, “Look Out for Lead.”  

dhs.wisconsin.gov/lead/doc/ParentsLeadEng.pdf

ü A list of consumer products that contain dangerous levels of lead.

 dhs.wi.gov/lead/LSources_Products.HTM

 

Other websites with lead poisoning prevention information:

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/  www.hud.gov/offices/lead/training/LBPguide.pdf

• The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, of particular interest they provide information in Spanish.

 http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/leadinfoesp.htm

 

Wisconsin is committed to preventing lead poisoning, not only to prevent early brain damage but to protect a child’s ability to learn and succeed in life.

 

 

  

 http://www.hud.gov/offices/lead/

TOP TEN FACTS ABOUT CHILDHOOD LEAD POISONING

IN WISCONSIN

 

1. Lead interferes with the normal development of a young child’s brain resulting in lowered IQ, attention disorders, developmental delays and learning disabilities.
2. Wisconsin consistently ranks in the top ten for the number of children identified with lead poisoning. Since 1996 more than 44,000 Wisconsin children younger than 6 years of age were identified with lead poisoning.
3. Nearly 1 in 20 Wisconsin third graders were known to have been lead poisoned.
4. Children who are lead poisoned show a 15% decrease in reading scores and 14% decrease in mathematical scores on performance tests.
5. Children who are lead poisoned have higher rates of high school dropout, teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency and violent crime as adults.
6. Children who are lead poisoned are more likely to suffer as adults from kidney disease, diabetes, cognitive deficits such as memory loss and Alzheimer’s and early death from high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack.
7. Children and families have been lead poisoned by unsafe work practices during home renovation. Therefore, in 2009 Wisconsin enacted rules (DHS Chapter 163) in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency to assure all renovation conducted in homes, child care facilities and schools built before 1978 will be done in a lead-safe manner to protect children from lead poisoning.
8. A child with lead poisoning most often does not look or act sick; the only way to know if a child is lead poisoned is by getting a blood lead test.
9. Lead poisoning is an entirely preventable disease through the removal or control of lead paint dust hazards in a child’s environment.
10. A new study just released estimates that by eliminating lead exposure to young children we could save between $17 to $221 for every dollar spent on lead hazard control. The benefits accrue from reduced health care costs, reduced criminal activity, increased IQ, higher lifetime earnings, increased tax revenue and less spending on special education.