Disposal of testing strips

[redarmyblues]

Hi. How should testing strips be disposed of please

 

[KathC]

I just put them in ordinary waste.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Hi. How should testing strips be disposed of please

In the household rubbish.

 

[Lucyr]

Put them in the bin

 

[helli]

Another, “just put them in the bin”.
I have seen suggestion that they should go in clinical waste as they have blood on. The usual response to that is “why don’t all girls get given clinical waste bins when they reach puberty, then?”
There is no need. Normal waste is absolutely fine for test strips.

 

[Sally71]

Yes, put them in the bin. If you cut your finger when preparing dinner for example, what do you do with all the tissues and the used plaster you cleaned yourself up with? You chuck them in the bin without further thought, and they have much more blood on them than a test strip.

 

[KathC]

Lancets are clinical waste, though. My surgery gave me a sharps bin but it'll take me years to fill it.

I didn't get a sharps bin until I went on insulin.

 

[redarmyblues]

I have been in contact with Diabetes UK and they advise that all medical waste materials should go in your sharps bin

 

[Sally71]

But they aren’t sharp. Sharps bins are for needles and lancets.
Do it if that's what you’ve been told, but used plasters are also medical waste and you just put those in the bin, otherwise every household in the country would have to be issued with a sharps bin, and they aren’t.
My mum has been type 1 for 53 years and has never been given a sharps bin in her life, all her waste goes in the normal waste, even needles! It is a bit ridiculous that it varies so much, no wonder people get confused!

 

[helli]

My sharps bin is used for sharp things only - needles, lancets and my partners safety razors. I dissect my pump when I change it so it is only the needle that goes in that bin and the rest can go in normal waste.
I try my best to minimise the things that go in that bin because disposing of it is extra expense which I do not feel the NHS or council needs to fund.

As for true medical waste", it should be disposed of differently to sharps so putting it in the sharps bin will mean it is not disposed of correctly.

As an aside, I was not given a sharps bin until I had a pump. When I was first diagnosed (15 years ago), I was told to put my sharps in a drinks bottle, seal it firmly and put it in the normal waste. On the very rare occasion when I am away from home and need to dispose of sharps, I follow this advice.

 

[grovesy]

Our council operates a free household clinical waste collection service. Not 100% sure but I thought local authorities had a legal obligation to provide this service - anyone know? - though they are allowed to charge for it.

Many contract it out to third parties. When ever the disposal of the bins crops up it is very varied, and there has even been the odd occasion where some have to pay a fee.

 

[helli]

Our council operates a free household clinical waste collection service. Not 100% sure but I thought local authorities had a legal obligation to provide this service - anyone know? - though they are allowed to charge for it.

My council also offer this service. Whilst they do not pass the costs on to me, it costs them and they already have a huge hole in their budget.
The cost of collecting sharps containers may not be huge but why spend any (council) tax payers money unnecessarily by filling sharps containers with unnecessary items so they have to be collected more often?

 

[trophywench]

My council also offer this service. Whilst they do not pass the costs on to me, it costs them and they already have a huge hole in their budget.
The cost of collecting sharps containers may not be huge but why spend any (council) tax payers money unnecessarily by filling sharps containers with unnecessary items so they have to be collected more often?

Exactly my thinking too - we see enough increase in the rates bill every year as it is, thanks.