National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in South Bay

National Take Back Day is a twice-a-year chance to clear expired or unused medicine out of your home, and the fall round lands on Saturday, October 24, 2026. Several South Bay cities are taking part, so it is an easy errand to fold into a weekend in the area.

If you are scanning for things to do in Los Angeles this month, this one is less a night out and more a practical community stop. Take Back Day runs in the spring and again in the fall, and local police departments and partners set up collection points so residents can turn in what they no longer use.

When: Saturday, October 24, 2026, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM Where: Participating South Bay drop-off sites (listed below) More info: takebackday.dea.gov

Why it matters

Unused prescription drugs sitting in a medicine cabinet can end up in the wrong hands, and the right way to dispose of them is not always obvious. Take Back Day gives the community a simple, supervised place to hand them over, which keeps them away from people they were never prescribed for.

South Bay drop-off locations

Local Anchor lists these sites for the October 24 event:

• El Segundo Police Department, at the El Segundo Maintenance Facility, 150 Illinois Street, El Segundo, CA 90245
• Gardena Police Department, 1718 W 162nd St, Gardena, CA 90247
• Torrance Police Department, at Sam's Club, 2601 Skypark Dr, Torrance, CA 90505
• Los Angeles Police Department, at Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center, 25965 Normandie Ave, Harbor City, CA 90710

Not in the South Bay? You can search for a site near you by ZIP code at takebackday.dea.gov.

What you can bring

Accepted items include prescription and over-the-counter pills, tablets, capsules and patches, plus sealed liquids, ointments and creams. Gather everything before you leave so you only have to make one stop.

Planning your visit

The window is four hours on a single Saturday morning and early afternoon, so check the hours before you head out. Sites sit in different cities, so pick the one closest to your route. Pair it with breakfast or an afternoon in the South Bay, and you have one of the simpler LA events this weekend to cross off a list. For more on what is coming up, browse our upcoming events in Los Angeles page.

Details come from Local Anchor's South Bay community coverage. Confirm hours and locations on the official Take Back Day site before you go, since individual sites can change.