Zvezdara Launches Old Medicine Return at 13 Pharmacies
Starting September 1, you can drop off expired medicine right at the pharmacy, at least at 13 locations in Zvezdara. Here's what gets accepted and what stays at home.
Got a drawer at home full of old medicine that expired ages ago? Starting September 1, 2026, you no longer have to throw it in the trash. Now you can send it back where it came from: the pharmacy.
It’s part of a pilot project called #VRATILEK (“return the medicine”), launched by Serbia’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (PKS). The idea is simple: household pharmaceutical waste has had nowhere to go until now except the trash, the sink, or a landfill, and that’s exactly what pollutes soil and water. The first phase kicked off in Belgrade, in the Zvezdara municipality, where 13 pharmacies received special containers for pharmaceutical waste. One of them is AU Lilly Drogerie at 186 Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra, and the full list of locations has been published on the websites of the Ministry and the Chamber of Commerce.
Environmental Protection Minister Sara Pavkov says the project answers a problem that already existed.
Listening to citizens’ concerns, we recognized the need to launch a pilot project addressing pharmaceutical waste. Until now, there was no way for citizens to safely hand over expired medicine at their local pharmacy.
The goal, Pavkov says, isn’t just Belgrade. “The goal of this pilot project is to gradually move from a partial model to a sustainable national model,” the minister said.
When Are Novi Sad and Nis Next?
Sources differ slightly here, so we’re passing on both versions. According to the timeline reported by Danas and Biznis.rs, collection expands to Novi Sad in October and to Nis in November. Minister Pavkov herself described the schedule differently in a statement to Pink, citing September and November, with each location running for 30 days.
Starting September 1, citizens will be able to drop off medicine they no longer use and medicine with an expired shelf life at 13 locations, 13 pharmacies in Belgrade. After that, we move on to Novi Sad and Nis.
If you’re not in Belgrade, your safest bet is to check the Ministry’s or the Chamber of Commerce’s website for the exact date once the project reaches your city. December brings an analysis of the pilot’s results, and starting in 2027, the plan is to roll the system out permanently at the national level.
Which Medicines Can You Return?
Pharmacies only accept so-called non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste:
- antibiotics
- blood pressure and heart medication
- diabetes medication
- painkillers and fever reducers
- topical preparations applied to the skin
What Won’t Pharmacies Accept?
- cytostatics and radiopharmaceuticals
- syringes, needles, and other medical equipment
- cosmetics
- dietary supplements
If you’re not sure whether something in your cabinet counts as returnable medicine, check the label, ask the pharmacist, or send a question to vratilek@pks.rs.
Pavkov explained why this matters in the project’s initial announcement:
Improper disposal of this kind of waste can lead to pharmaceutical substances entering the environment and pose a risk to soil, water, and wildlife.
Once you hand a medicine over at the pharmacy, it doesn’t just sit there. The pharmacy takes it in and stores it safely on a temporary basis, and a licensed operator then takes over transport and disposal.
Is It Worth a Trip to the Pharmacy?
For Zvezdara residents, absolutely.
- For the first time, there’s a free and safe place to dispose of old medicine instead of the trash or the sink.
- The process is simple: toss the leaflet and box in with paper recycling, put the medicine itself in a clean bag, and hand it over at the counter.
- For now it only works at 13 pharmacies in one municipality, so if you live elsewhere in Belgrade or in another city, you’ll have to wait your turn.
- The list of accepted medicine is limited; hazardous waste still can’t be dropped off here.
If you live in Zvezdara, check your medicine drawer this weekend and take what you don’t need to the nearest pharmacy on the list. If you’re not in Belgrade yet, remember the name #VRATILEK: it’s coming to your city too, it’s just a matter of when.
