Dell Scarlett of the Village of Chatham is a self-described tree hugger.

Dell Scarlett drops off some unused medicine with Deputy Richard Bennett.
Dell Scarlett drops off some unused medicine with Deputy Richard Bennett.

So she was thrilled to see the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office collecting so much unused and expired medicine Saturday at Winn-Dixie at Lake Sumter Landing.

Operation Medicine Cabinet provided Villagers the opportunity to drop off medicine for safe disposal.

“I don’t want anything in the landfill that doesn’t belong there,” Scarlett said. “And we don’t want this to end up in our water system.”

Lt. Robert Siemer, right, chats with a Villager dropping off unused medicine at Operation Medicine Cabinet.
Lt. Robert Siemer, right, chats with a Villager dropping off unused medicine at Operation Medicine Cabinet.

The medicine dropped off Saturday will be safely disposed of through incineration.

A total of 2,280 pounds of medicine was dropped off Saturday.

Fern Swope, who has lived in the Village of Hacienda East since 1997, also brought some unused medicine.

“I think they do a really good thing by doing this,” Swope said.