This map of commercial waste combustors has been developed primarily for law enforcement agencies that have installed kiosks for year-round collection of household pharmaceuticals, as well as community organizers of pharmaceutical take-back events (which must include law enforcement). DEA regulations require that collected household pharmaceuticals be destroyed in a manner that meets DEA’s non-retrievable standard. DEA has indicated that incineration meets its non-retrievable standard of destruction. EPA assumes that law enforcement will also choose to meet DEA’s non-retrievable standard of destruction for the household pharmaceuticals it collects. This map includes the types of incinerators that law enforcement may use to comply with EPA and DEA regulations for the destruction of collected household pharmaceuticals.

EPA encourages law enforcement to use a commercial carrier to ship the collected household pharmaceuticals to a DEA-registered reverse distributor that either has a permitted combustor or will bring the pharmaceuticals to a permitted combustor on their behalf. For additional details about how this works, see page 5 of the 2018 EPA memorandum addressed to law enforcement.

However, if a combustor is nearby, it may be more cost-effective for law enforcement to drive the collected household pharmaceuticals to a combustor. The map is intended for law enforcement agencies to determine whether it is feasible to drive collected household pharmaceuticals to a commercial waste combustor versus simply shipping the collected household pharmaceuticals to a DEA-registered reverse distributor.

Use the buttons in the legend to choose the specific types of facilities you would like to display.

Explanation of legend acronyms:

• HW combustor = hazardous waste combustor
• MW combustor = large and small municipal waste combustor
• HMIW incinerator = hospital, medical, and infectious waste incinerator
• CISW incinerator = commercial and industrial solid waste incinerator

Commercial waste combustors are those that are allowed to accept waste from off-site. Note, however, that some of these combustors may not be permitted to accept collected household pharmaceuticals, or they may choose not to accept them. Contact the individual facility about its policy before sending a shipment. Also, note that inclusion on this list does not imply an EPA endorsement or recommendation to use any particular facility.

Access the Background Data for this Map (xlsx) (33.15 KB)