Environmentally friendly drug disposal

This topic, I find, has never been discussed very thoroughly. I wonder why? I mean, all of us know that drugs have an expiry date and that after that; they have to be disposed off of and not be left on the shelf. We also know the containers that drugs come in, are not necessary later and that it is best to dispose off of them. How do we go about this business of disposal?
Some may have come across suggestions such as mix the medication with water, then with some unpalatable solids such as coffee grounds or fruit peels, and dispose it in household trash- which is an environmental disaster just waiting to happen. Consider hormone containing drugs such as birth control pills. When they are dissolved in water, mixed with sawdust, and dumped, it is equivalent to putting hormones in the water table instead of directly in the waterways that flow into sewage treatment areas. Obviously, this proves that flushing expired medicines down the toilet is just as bad.
Also, disposal in the trash is a terrible idea because drugs that are thrown in the garbage could also be found and ingested by playing children, pets or wild animals.
The best way to do this is, of course as many pharmacy associations around the world have suggested: to return the empty containers and the left over medicines, back to the manufacturer or to organisations that use environmentally friendly methods to dispose off of them safely. Also, when people go to pharmacies to return their medicines, it gives them an opportunity to talk with the pharmacist and learn something new about the drugs and related topics.
Remember, it isn't safe to keep expired and unused medicines in your home. You could mistakenly ingest them, or they could fall into the hands of young children.
Be a responsible citizen today: when your planet gives you everything, remember to pay back in any way you can.

Citation: http://www.canada.com/topics/bodyandhealth/story.html?id=89d62801-3177-4...