Olmsted Township PRINT
Township
Service Department: (440)235-1011
Republic Services provides weekly curbside recycling for township residents. Combine cans; cardboard; cartons; cups (aluminum, paper, and some plastic); glass bottles and jars; paper and boxes; plastic bottles, jugs, and tubs; as well as clear plastic clamshells loose (unbagged) in the provided wheeled cart. See the list below for detailed recycling and collection programs in Olmsted Township.
Medications
Dispose of pills and capsules at a police station, hospital or pharmacy drug drop box. Do not flush. Contact law enforcement about vape and vaping products.
Olmsted Township Police Department has a medication drop box. No liquids, needles, or syringes.
Police Department: 26900 Cook Road, Olmsted Township
Pills, tablets, and capsules can be properly disposed of through the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office Rx Drug Drop Box Program. Residents can deposit unused, unwanted, or expired prescription drugs at drop boxes at law enforcement agencies throughout Cuyahoga County and all four campuses of Cuyahoga Community College. To find a drop-off location, visit www.RXdrugdropbox.org or dial 211. You can also use this website’s location services or choose your community from the green ‘Select a City’ drop-down at the top of the page and click 'See Details.'
Needles, sharps, lancets, and syringes are not accepted in the Drop Box. For information on proper disposal, see needles and sharps.
Liquid medications are not accepted in the Sheriff's Rx Drop Box Program. Properly dispose of liquid medication by mixing it with coffee grounds, cat litter, dirt, or sawdust to make it undesirable or unusable. Once the liquid is unusable, place it in the regular trash for proper disposal. Do not flush liquid medications into our sewer system or waterways.
Do not put e-cigarettes or vaping products in your household trash or recycling. Contact your local police department or law enforcement agency about the disposal of e-cigarettes, vape pens, or vaping products. Single-use vapes can be dropped off for proper disposal at Solid Waste District HQ.
Scroll down for information on disposing of empty pill bottles.
Special Collection Events
Seasonally, the U.S. DEA holds National Prescription Drug Take Back days to collect unwanted medications. In 2026, events will be held on April 25 and October 24. Learn more about the DEA collection events.
Our partners at the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District host seasonal Pitch Those Pills collection events at select Discount Drug Mart locations. Pills, capsules, liquids, and mercury-containing items are accepted for proper disposal. Rx collection events will be held from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM at the following sites in 2026:
- May 6: 24485 Lorain Road, North Olmsted
- June 3: 6115 State Road, Parma
- July 1: 6148 Dunham Road, Maple Heights
- August 5: 9318 Broadview Road, Broadview Heights
- September 2: 6160 Brecksville Road, Independence
Hospital and Pharmacy Collections
Cleveland Clinic has 14 medication drop boxes at its Northeast Ohio locations, including the Children’s Hospital, Euclid Avenue, and Taussig Outpatient pharmacies at its main campus in Cleveland. The health system also has drop boxes at family health centers and regional hospitals. See more about the medication disposal kiosks. Prescription medications, including aerosols, liquids in sealed containers, tablets, capsules, creams, and lotions are accepted. Disposal kiosks are available during regular pharmacy hours.
MetroHealth has public drop-offs for unused prescription drugs at its Cleveland Heights and Parma medical centers. There are drop boxes located in the emergency rooms at each of those locations. See details.
Walgreens offers the Safe Medication Disposal Program. Drop-box receptacles at local Walgreens pharmacies are available during regular pharmacy hours. CVS and other pharmacies offer drop boxes and mail-back programs for medications. Check the in-store pharmacy for information.
Donate Insulin and Medication
Consider donating usable insulin and unused diabetic supplies to Insulin for Life USA or a local animal shelter. The American Diabetes Association offers additional suggestions for donations of diabetic supplies and insulin.
Donate unused, unexpired, unopened medications that have been properly stored to MediCircle, Sirum, or SafeNetRx. These organizations accept unused medicines from individuals, manufacturers, pharmacies, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. They responsibly collect and distribute meds to clinics and pharmacies serving patients struggling with medication insecurity.
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy provides information and a list of drug repository programs. In the search, use the term 'repository.'
Disposal of Pill Bottles
Recycle
Empty over-the-counter (OTC) vitamin, wellness product, or solid white larger-supply (i.e., 90-day) bottles for pharmaceuticals can go in curbside recycling. Bottles should be 2" or larger in diameter to make it through the automated sorting system. Items should be empty, clean, and dry before recycling. See details.
Empty prescription (Rx) medication pill bottles (orange, blue, and green) and pill bottle caps can be dropped off for recycling at the Solid Waste District. A marked collection bin is in our building vestibule. Lids must be separated from bottoms; bottles and caps are accepted in separate, designated bins. NO MEDICATIONS.
Questions? Interested in partnering to collect these items locally in your group or community? Call (216) 443-3749 or contact us for details.
Do not place prescription (Rx) medication pill bottles in curbside recycling.
Reuse/Donate
Translucent orange prescription medication bottles can be donated to organizations for reuse. Locally, MedWish International will accept empty and clean Rx bottles with labels and adhesives removed. Call ahead to ensure that empty bottles are currently being accepted. Consider donating to an animal shelter or using a mail-back program through Matthew 25 Ministries.
Bottles that hold prescription medications should be empty, clean, and dry before donating. Remove stickers or redact personal information on the bottle before donation or disposal.
Trash
If prescription medication bottles cannot be reused or dropped off at Solid Waste HQ, place them in the regular trash.
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Looking to recycle, donate, or dispose of other items? Use the dark blue 'What Do I Do With?' search bar at the top of every page of this website. Allow location services or use the city drop-down to find opportunities in your local area.