Out with the old: Puebloans can trash unwanted household items, prescription drugs Saturday

Josue Perez, The Pueblo Chieftain
·2 min read
Detective Vincent R. Petkosek collects a bag of prescription drugs dropped off by a member of the community during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in 2018.
Detective Vincent R. Petkosek collects a bag of prescription drugs dropped off by a member of the community during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in 2018.

Editor's note: The city's Team Up to Clean up Event occurred on Saturday. Oct. 29, 2022.

Puebloans will have a chance to safely dispose of some unwanted items Saturday at two free events being hosted by the city of Pueblo and Pueblo County Sheriff's Office.

The PCSO is hosting a National Drug Take Back event where citizens can drop off expired, unwanted or unused prescription drugs for free.

The prescription medications can be accepted anonymously and will be disposed of safely. Sheriff’s deputies will be collecting them from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at three locations:

  • Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office West Substation, 320 Joe Martinez Blvd.;

  • Pueblo Rural Fire Station, 29912 U.S. Highway 50 East (between Wago Drive and 30th Lane);

  • Valley Health Mart Pharmacy, 4493 Bent Brothers Blvd., Colorado City.

According to the sheriff’s office, the items that won’t be accepted during the take back event are needles, mercury thermometers, oxygen containers, pressurized canisters, illicit drugs and chemotherapy substances.

The event occurs twice a year and was started by the Drug Enforcement Administration as a preventative measure to avoid medication misuse or opioid addiction.

The DEA has collected nationwide data from the event since 2016, according to which, the DEA collects between 400 to 500 tons of prescription drugs at upward of 6,000 collection sites for each event.

More on take-back events in Pueblo: Pueblo County to host drop-off sites for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

The city of Pueblo is hosting its own event Saturday at the Colorado State Fairgrounds called “Team up to Clean Up.” It will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and allow citizens to dispose of household items and yard debris for free.

Each household is limited to items totaling one pickup-sized truckload and can bring furniture, mattresses and excess carpet. The yard debris should be easily accessible (in trash bags or boxes). Tires can also be brought, but there is a limit of five to each household and they must come without rims attached.

Industrial or commercial waste items, concrete, cement, rocks and hazardous material such as paint or thinners won’t be accepted at the event.

Residents are also asked not to bring electronics or appliances such as fridges, freezers or air conditioners.

The city previously hosted Team up to Clean up in May at the fairgrounds and the CSU-Pueblo ThunderBowl parking lot.

Chieftain reporter Josue Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @josuepwrites.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo events to allow disposal of household items, prescription drugs