# RCW 69.48.080: RCW 69.48.080: Disposal and handling of covered drugs

> Washington · Statutes · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S080

## Section

- **Citation:** RCW 69.48.080
- **Heading:** RCW 69.48.080: Disposal and handling of covered drugs
- **Jurisdiction:** Washington
- **Kind:** Statutes
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** Washington Code / Title 69 / Chapter 48 / Section 080

## Text

(1) Covered drugs collected under a drug take-back program must be disposed of at a permitted hazardous waste disposal facility that meets the requirements of 40 C.F.R. parts 264 and 265, as they exist on June 7, 2018. (2) If use of a hazardous waste disposal facility described in subsection (1) of this section is unfeasible based on cost, logistics, or other considerations, the department, in consultation with the department of ecology, may grant approval for a program operator to dispose of some or all collected covered drugs at a permitted large municipal waste combustor facility that meets the requirements of 40 C.F.R. parts 60 and 62, as they exist on June 7, 2018. (3) A program operator may petition the department for approval to use final disposal technologies or processes that provide superior environmental and human health protection than that provided by the technologies described in subsections (1) and (2) of this section, or equivalent protection at less cost. In reviewing a petition under this subsection, the department shall take into consideration regulations or guidance issued by the United States environmental protection agency on the disposal of pharmaceutical waste. The department, in consultation with the department of ecology, shall approve a disposal petition under this section if the disposal technology or processes described in the petition provides equivalent or superior protection in each of the following areas: (a) Monitoring of any emissions or waste; (b) Worker health and safety; (c) Air, water, or land emissions contributing to persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic pollution; and (d) Overall impact to the environment and human health. (4) If a drug take-back program encounters a safety or security problem during collection, transportation, or disposal of covered drugs, the program operator must notify the department as soon as practicable after encountering the problem.

## Nearby sections

- [RCW 69.48.010 RCW 69.48.010: Findings.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S010.md)
- [RCW 69.48.020 RCW 69.48.020: Definitions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S020.md)
- [RCW 69.48.030 RCW 69.48.030: Requirement to participate in a drug take-back program.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S030.md)
- [RCW 69.48.040 RCW 69.48.040: Identification of covered manufacturers.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S040.md)
- [RCW 69.48.050 RCW 69.48.050: Drug take-back program approval—Program modifications.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S050.md)
- [RCW 69.48.060 RCW 69.48.060: Collection system.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S060.md)
- [RCW 69.48.070 RCW 69.48.070: Drug take-back program promotion.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S070.md)
- [RCW 69.48.080 RCW 69.48.080: Disposal and handling of covered drugs.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S080.md)
- [RCW 69.48.090 RCW 69.48.090: Program funding.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S090.md)
- [RCW 69.48.100 RCW 69.48.100: Annual program report.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S100.md)
- [RCW 69.48.110 RCW 69.48.110: Enforcement and penalties.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S110.md)
- [RCW 69.48.120 RCW 69.48.120: Department to set program fees.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S120.md)
- [RCW 69.48.130 RCW 69.48.130: Secure drug take-back program account.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S130.md)
- [RCW 69.48.140 RCW 69.48.140: Antitrust immunity.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S140.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T69_C48_S080. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.