New 24-hour deposit box available
Bourbonnais, IL - The Village of Bourbonnais recently amended its ordinance regarding the General Discharge Prohibition section of the Municipal Code. This comes as a result of the Kankakee River Metropolitan Agency’s (KRMA) amendment on June 18, 2019 to what may or may not be discharged into the sewers. Ordinance No. 19-2164 includes two new prohibitions on discharges which include: bulk, expired, outdated or concentrated prescription or non-prescription drugs, and hazardous waste pharmaceuticals or DEA controlled substances. In response to these recent revisions, the Bourbonnais Police Department is now providing a larger prescription drop-off box to withhold higher volumes of unused or expired prescription medications for safe disposal.
The new drop box is conveniently available 24/7 within the lobby of the police department located at 700 Main Street NW. Previously, a smaller-sized drop box was only available during business hours and with officer assistance. Residents can now safely dispose of larger quantities of pills and capsules at any time, any day, without the need for an officer.
“We’d like to thank the Illinois Sheriff’s Association who facilitated this project and provided the new drop box,” explained Chief James Phelps. “It’s important we are able to accommodate and get these unused and expired prescription drugs out of homes and potentially off of the streets.”
A reminder that liquid and syringes are not permitted for safe disposal within the drop box. Per the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) website, the FDA recommends if no drug take back sites, locations, or programs are available, and there are no specific disposal instructions in the medication guide or package inserts, you can follow these simple steps to dispose of most medicines in your trash at home:
1. Mix medicines (liquid or pills; do not crush tablets or capsules) with an unappealing substance such as dirt, cat litter, or used coffee grounds;
2. Place the mixture in a container such as a sealed plastic bag;
3. Throw away the container in your trash at home; and
4. Delete all personal information on the prescription label of empty medicine bottles or medicine packaging, then trash or recycle the empty bottle or packaging.
Additionally, the FDA recommends contacting 1-800-643-1643 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for safe needle disposal information specific to Illinois.
To learn more about the Bourbonnais Police Department and available services, visit https://www.villageofbourbonnais.com/residents/police-department/.
