The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will hold a nationwide event to collect unwanted, unused, and expired medications on Saturday, October 25, 2025. The event will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The La Grange Police Department at 304 W. Burlington Avenue will partner with the DEA and serve as a regional drop-off site for the initiative.
The event aims to provide a safe way for residents to dispose of prescription and non-prescription capsules, pills, gel caps, tablets, patches, ointments, vitamins, tightly sealed liquids in original containers, over-the-counter medications, and pet medications. Items not accepted include needles or syringes, bottled or pressurized gases or liquids, inhalers, bio-hazardous materials, plastic tubing, masks, catheters, or any medical equipment.
The La Grange Police Department also maintains a permanent drug disposal box in its lobby. The box is available to the public at any time. The department asks that loose pills be placed in a clear zip-lock bag before depositing them in the receptacle. Unacceptable items should not be placed in the box.
Collected medications will be removed regularly from the box and transported to a DEA collection site for proper disposal.
For further details, information is available on the DEA website and the Cook County MEDS Disposal Initiative website. Residents may also contact La Grange Police Sergeant Ryan Nemecek at 708-352-2131 or by email at rnemecek@lagrangeil.gov.
