The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources, a program of Children’s Aid and Family Services; the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office; and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office are encouraging Bergen County residents to properly dispose of prescription medications at Operation Take Back NJ from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 25. Collection sites include:

Mahwah Police Headquarters, 221 Franklin Turnpike. Contact Detective Lt. Martin Clancy, 201-529-1000 or mclancy@mahwahpolicedepartment.org.

Oakland Police Department, 295 Ramapo Valley Road. Contact Sgt. Robert Deboer, 201-337-6171 or bdeboer@oaklandpolice.us.

Wyckoff Police Department, Scott Plaza. Contact Detective Michael Musto, 201-891-2121 or wpddetectives@optonline.net.

A second event, The American Medicine Chest Challenge, will be held Nov. 13.

The initiatives, open to all Bergen County residents, were organized to allow local community residents to properly dispose of their unused, unwanted and expired medicines. The service is free and anonymous. The substances will be disposed of in a safe, non-hazardous manner, preventing them from falling into the hands of teenagers or causing harm to the environment.

Additional collection sites can be found on operationtakebacknj.com and americanmedicinechest.com. For more information, call The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources at 201-488-8680. Those unable to participate in either Operation Take Back NJ or the American Medicine Chest Challenge are asked to visit smartxtdisposal.net for tips on how to dispose of unwanted medications.