recycling

[pondita]

Hi folks. I've been doing some research into recycling all the items we have as diabetics. I'm posting here to get your ideas and thoughts, and to be sure my research is correct. The used Freestyle Libre sensors, once used, the adhesive removed, and the disc disinfected, this can go in a used battery box. The best I can find for the Libre applicator setup is to dismantle the thing using tweezers, carefully remove the needle and put it in the sharps bin, then recycle the rest. But I can't find any information, and I do wonder, if the recycling centres will recycle hard plastic like this. The used, empty insulin pins, I have no clue what to do with those. I put them in the general rubbish, unfortunately. Thoughts?

 

[Robin]

Hi folks. I've been doing some research into recycling all the items we have as diabetics. I'm posting here to get your ideas and thoughts, and to be sure my research is correct. The used Freestyle Libre sensors, once used, the adhesive removed, and the disc disinfected, this can go in a used battery box. The best I can find for the Libre applicator setup is to dismantle the thing using tweezers, carefully remove the needle and put it in the sharps bin, then recycle the rest. But I can't find any information, and I do wonder, if the recycling centres will recycle hard plastic like this. The used, empty insulin pins, I have no clue what to do with those. I put them in the general rubbish, unfortunately. Thoughts?

It may depend on what your local council does. Ours has a bin for hard plastics at our local recycling centre, so I save mine up and take them there (dismantled with the needle removed)

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

It may depend on what your local council does. Ours has a bin for hard plastics at our local recycling centre, so I save mine up and take them there (dismantled with the needle removed)

Yes I think it will depend from area to area - ours certainly won’t take hard plastics from kerbside.

Recycling seems next to impossible on anything with a complex mix of materials, and unfortunately many of the consumables we get through are exactly that.

 

[pondita]

It may depend on what your local council does. Ours has a bin for hard plastics at our local recycling centre, so I save mine up and take them there (dismantled with the needle removed)

best as I can tell from looking at our council's website, is that, yes, I have to take it to the local recycling centre. I'll start a home bin for that now. Thank you!

 

[rebrascora]

best as I can tell from looking at our council's website, is that, yes, I have to take it to the local recycling centre. I'll start a home bin for that now. Thank you!

Are you also removing the metal spring from the Libre applicator? Just wondering if you are reaching in with tweezers and pulling out the needle but maybe don't know there is also a metal spring in there? I dismantle mine too, needle goes in sharps bin, the plastics of the applicator go in a bag for recycling at the tip and and metal springs can go in metal recycling or perhaps used for some sort of crafting or sculpture if you know anyone who is that way inclined.

Also, are you aware that the filament and central white plastic section, which is likely the only part of the sensor which is contaminated with blood, can be popped out if you apply pressure to the centre circle from the top, so that you are left with the electronics in the outer main disc and the very small sampling part with the filament can be binned or put in sharps bin if you prefer although technically not "sharp".

I am saving my Libre sensors up with a view to making something crafty with them, since they are now essentially just very large sequins which could easily be coloured either plain or with designs using acrylic pens or maybe used in some type of macrame design or to form a bit of art. Maybe even place mats or something!

 

[pondita]

Are you also removing the metal spring from the Libre applicator? Just wondering if you are reaching in with tweezers and pulling out the needle but maybe don't know there is also a metal spring in there? I dismantle mine too, needle goes in sharps bin, the plastics of the applicator go in a bag for recycling at the tip and and metal springs can go in metal recycling or perhaps used for some sort of crafting or sculpture if you know anyone who is that way inclined.

Also, are you aware that the filament and central white plastic section, which is likely the only part of the sensor which is contaminated with blood, can be popped out if you apply pressure to the centre circle from the top, so that you are left with the electronics in the outer main disc and the very small sampling part with the filament can be binned or put in sharps bin if you prefer although technically not "sharp".

I am saving my Libre sensors up with a view to making something crafty with them, since they are now essentially just very large sequins which could easily be coloured either plain or with designs using acrylic pens or maybe used in some type of macrame design or to form a bit of art. Maybe even place mats or something!

Yes, the spring just kind of pops out at you. 🙂 I thought I'd save them up for some craft projects or something. I didn't know about popping out the filament; I'll do that next time. Thank you!

 

[JJay]

The used, empty insulin pins, I have no clue what to do with those. I put them in the general rubbish, unfortunately. Thoughts?

Do you mean disposable pens? The best thing you can do there is change to reusable pens/cartridges. Far less waste and require less storage space in your fridge!

 

[TwilightMidna]

@pondita if you are using disposable pens, both NovoRapid and Lantus pens can be recycled via postal recycling schemes. I believe the NovoRapid one is called PenCycle and the Lantus one is called RePen.

 

[pondita]

@pondita if you are using disposable pens, both NovoRapid and Lantus pens can be recycled via postal recycling schemes. I believe the NovoRapid one is called PenCycle and the Lantus one is called RePen.

whoo hoo! I didn't know about those. I had read about PenCycle, but I thought it was just a scheme for the US. I've ordered my boxes.

 

[rebrascora]

whoo hoo! I didn't know about those. I had read about PenCycle, but I thought it was just a scheme for the US. I've ordered my boxes.

Recycling the disposable pens is a good idea short term, but using reusable pens which typically last 5-10 years is a much better option long term, so do ask about that. With NovoRapid, it is the NovoPen Echo which is probably the best reusable pen on the market and has both a half unit function and a last dose memory feature which shows you the last dose injected and how long ago that was for those "Did I?" Didn't I?" moments that I have all too often! 🙄
I think the Lantus reusable pen is the Solo Star but hopefully someone will correct me if I am wrong.
You get cartridges prescribed to fit into these reusable pens and they take up much less space in your fridge and are very easy to fit.

 

[Mark72]

If you're taking tablets for medication Boots offer recycling for blister packs (combined plastic and foil) at certain branches, you can check for you closest on their website.

 

[TwilightMidna]

whoo hoo! I didn't know about those. I had read about PenCycle, but I thought it was just a scheme for the US. I've ordered my boxes.

I don’t know why these schemes aren’t more widely advertised! I found the PenCycle one only because I was googling about what to do with my empty pens, and I learnt about the RePen ones from the forums here (the Lantus scheme is fairly new I think). Happy to have helped! 🙂

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I don’t know why these schemes aren’t more widely advertised!

How? There's a pretty prominent thing in my local Boots (with boxes to take); I think they've advertised in Balance and I seem to remember reading a couple of (small) news stories mentioning it. (I'm wrong about general news. At least, Google doesn't find anything in newspaper websites.) I think it would make sense for GP surgeries (and diabetes clinics) to have flyers about it and I don't remember seeing any, but I haven't really been looking (and it's been a while since I was seen at a diabetes clinic).

I think it's the usual problem with advertising to small communities: not that many people use insulin pens so you can't justify advertising on TV or in The Times. (Especially since this is something that's going to cost them.)

 

[rebrascora]

The dispensary at my GP surgery have the PenCycle boxes on the counter for people to take along with used inhaler collection/recycling and the sharps box collection bin on the floor next to the counter for small sharps bins.

 

[Robin]

If you're taking tablets for medication Boots offer recycling for blister packs (combined plastic and foil) at certain branches, you can check for you closest on their website.

Ooh, that’s useful, I must look for our nearest, OH has loads of blister packs (3 different tablets a day) and our local county council has just announced a pilot scheme but only in three of the biggest towns, none of which are near us. Apparently they are going to melt them down and make plastic garden furniture out of them.

 

[pondita]

Recycling the disposable pens is a good idea short term, but using reusable pens which typically last 5-10 years is a much better option long term, so do ask about that. With NovoRapid, it is the NovoPen Echo which is probably the best reusable pen on the market and has both a half unit function and a last dose memory feature which shows you the last dose injected and how long ago that was for those "Did I?" Didn't I?" moments that I have all too often! 🙄
I think the Lantus reusable pen is the Solo Star but hopefully someone will correct me if I am wrong.
You get cartridges prescribed to fit into these reusable pens and they take up much less space in your fridge and are very easy to fit.

thank you. I'll definitely investigate that

 

[pondita]

If you're taking tablets for medication Boots offer recycling for blister packs (combined plastic and foil) at certain branches, you can check for you closest on their website.

I volunteer for EH and the castle has an active recycling program which also takes blister packs. 🙂