HOUSTON — Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. and Kroger Co. have teamed up with Sharps Compliance Corp. to offer safe disposal of expired, unused or unwanted medications.

Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. and Kroger Co. have teamed up with Sharps Compliance Corp. to offer safe disposal of expired, unused or unwanted medications.

The two supermarket chains are offering specially designed medication disposal envelopes from Sharps Compliance Corp. in their pharmacies to make it easy for customers to dispose of prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines in an environmentally friendly way.

Through Sharps’ TakeAway System Envelope Solution, Winn-Dixie and Kroger customers simply place unwanted prescription and OTC medications (excluding controlled drugs) in an envelope, seal it and then drop it in the mail. The postage-paid envelope is sent to an approved treatment facility, where licensed law enforcement oversees the safe and environmentally-responsible disposal process.

The TakeAway envelopes are available for $2.99 in all of Winn-Dixie’s 379 in-store pharmacies in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. The envelopes are available now at pharmacies inside Kroger Co. supermarkets, which operate under various banners in 31 states, but the retailer didn’t announce pricing.

"Winn-Dixie is making it easy for our customers to dispose of unwanted medications, preventing potential misuse of these medications and also preventing contamination of our lakes and rivers, many of which serve as community water supplies," John Fegan, vice president of pharmacy at Winn-Dixie, said in a statement.

Sharps noted that the TakeAway system addresses a rising national concern about children and teens accessing unused medications, as well as the environmental hazards of improper drug disposal.

"We are excited that our TakeAway System will now be available in Kroger pharmacies," David Tusa, president and chief executive officer of Sharps Compliance, said in a statement.

"We estimate that more than 200 million pounds of unused dispensed medications each year are disposed of improperly and as a result are adversely affecting our water systems and placing our citizens at risk for accidental poisonings," stated David Tusa, president and chief executive officer of Sharps Compliance. "We believe our cost-effective and convenient solutions are ideal for addressing these issues."

Drug store chain Rite Aid Corp. introduced the Sharps TakeAway drug disposal envelopes in its pharmacies in mid-March.

Sharps had relaunched the TakeAway system in January upon meeting newly defined and enhanced requirements by U.S. Postal Service regarding the mailing of unused, noncontrolled medications and OTC medicines for proper disposal.