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Sharps disposal

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Annie29

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
For years I have taken my used sharps initially to a pharmacy and latterly to my GP surgery for safe disposal. I tried to do this last week and both surgery and pharmacy refused to take them. Both told me to contact the Council, which I did. They want me to set up an account for regular collections. This seems a huge waste of resources and I just want to take each full box somewhere for disposal. How are others managing this? I can’t believe it’s just my town that has this problem.
 
It seems to vary massively depending on where you live. At the moment I can still drop ours off at the GPs, ultimately though I think responsibility does lie with the council, there are some people on here who get theirs collected.
 
Do they not have the option for one-off collections @Annie29 ? Most do. All they do is then tell you that you’ll have to book each collection as a one-off.
 
My council collect my sharps bins and I need an account to do so.
I fill a bin about once a year so it does not have to be a particularly frequent regular collection.
When I request a collection, the bin is picked up from outside my front door in the early hours of the next Wednesday morning.

My local pharmacy has no space to collect bins and my GP surgery struggle with other services so I am glad this allows them to focus on more important things.
 
Our Council collects, and leaves a new sharps bin when they do. I thought this was the norm. I don't see why this would be a waste of resources. My post code has a set collection day and I expect they do multiple collections each time, not just mine.
 
Yes, this is a change that has appeared in a lot of places, and more seem to be joining in.
What has happened, was that a while ago, a surgery had a health and safety incident with a bin. Now under the current regulations if they take a bin (or a pharmacy does the same), they have a legal responsibility to classify the waste, and to handle safe disposal. Historically they could apply to the 'area team' to cover the cost of this. Following the incident this has stopped being paid. So these locations have stopped taking this. It is insane, since now hundreds of separate collections have to be done, where previously there was one.
 
Around here I have always been asked to book the collection on the council website, it’s a similar part of their website where a booking can be made to collect old furniture and appliances etc..
they just collect how ever many there are to be disposed
I buy a replacement, I used to get them on prescription until the pharmacy asked me why I was getting them on prescription when they only cost £1 to buy over the counter
when I was in hospital last year on being discharged they gave me a few sharps bins as they sent me home with the anti blood clot injections that needed to be disposed of, so I’ve filled a few over the last 18 months will probably book a collection once I’ve filled the one I’m currently filling
 
Annie29 said:
For years I have taken my used sharps initially to a pharmacy and latterly to my GP surgery for safe disposal. I tried to do this last week and both surgery and pharmacy refused to take them. Both told me to contact the Council, which I did. They want me to set up an account for regular collections. This seems a huge waste of resources and I just want to take each full box somewhere for disposal. How are others managing this? I can’t believe it’s just my town that has this problem.
Click to expand...
My local Council will only collect three or more sharps bins. (Not there yet!)
 
I just chuck them in the sea……. Just joking!!! The pharmacy has recently started getting funny about taking ours too. It’s ridiculous, I’ve got 3 tubs in the garage now!
 
It is frustrating it is different in different parts of the country but also how it is not part of the information our “diabetes team” tell us when we are first diagnosed and when the rules change.
I think there should be a kind of “duty of care” which goes beyond what medication to take but also includes how to get rid of diabetes detritus like sharps and single use insulin pens and tablet blister packs as well as what to do about driving (I hope it has changed because I had to find out for y self about informing dvla and my insurers), proactively informing patients about drug shortages, updating technology without us having to ask, how to manage travel and all those other things that are part of living with diabetes.
 
helli said:
It is frustrating it is different in different parts of the country but also how it is not part of the information our “diabetes team” tell us when we are first diagnosed and when the rules change.
I think there should be a kind of “duty of care” which goes beyond what medication to take but also includes how to get rid of diabetes detritus like sharps and single use insulin pens and tablet blister packs as well as what to do about driving (I hope it has changed because I had to find out for y self about informing dvla and my insurers), proactively informing patients about drug shortages, updating technology without us having to ask, how to manage travel and all those other things that are part of living with diabetes.
Click to expand...
@helli just noticed in your post you mentioned disposable of our various paraphernalia, I’ve recently discovered my single use insulin pens can be recycled (via Pencycle by NovoNordisk)
I don’t think they are recycling any other brand of pens
I’ve also got a pile of empty Libby ones
plus a box of the plastic CGM insertion devices & packaging, that I’m hoping to recycle

Im unsure on recycling the tablet plastic blister packs, I used to drop them off at Superdrug but haven’t for a few years maybe someone knows, do they still accept them, I’m trying to recycle what I can
 
I tried to take one back to the Lloyds pharmacy at the hospital that had issued the medication in one shot syringes with needle attached but they refused to take it as they said they were not licenced to take them.
 
goodybags said:
@helli just noticed in your post you mentioned disposable of our various paraphernalia, I’ve recently discovered my single use insulin pens can be recycled (via Pencycle by NovoNordisk)
I don’t think they are recycling any other brand of pens
I’ve also got a pile of empty Libby ones
plus a box of the plastic CGM insertion devices & packaging, that I’m hoping to recycle

Im unsure on recycling the tablet plastic blister packs, I used to drop them off at Superdrug but haven’t for a few years maybe someone knows, do they still accept them, I’m trying to recycle what I can
Click to expand...
Thanks goody bags.
Actually, the point of my post was not to ask about what to do with these things. It was to request that we are treated as complete human beings needing to drive, travel, look after the environment, etc. rather than just a medical case to treat.
 
goodybags said:
Im unsure on recycling the tablet plastic blister packs, I used to drop them off at Superdrug but haven’t for a few years maybe someone knows, do they still accept them, I’m trying to recycle what I can
Click to expand...
Boots take them. They also take plastic tubes, eg toothpaste tubes.
 
goodybags said:
I don’t think they are recycling any other brand of pens
Click to expand...
You can recycle Lantus too (and probably the apidra disposable pens but I use cartridges for that so not checked)
 
We had a straw poll about different systems in different areas (there seem to be many variants!).

everydayupsanddowns

Thread 'Sharps Bins? Easy or impossible.'

For members who create ‘sharps’ as part of their diabetes management, I am interested in how easy or difficult the local authority in your area makes it to gather and dispose of these properly.

I recently did a straw poll on Twitter and 42% of respondents either had no system in their area, or the system was a complete nightmare (Eg bins provided, but their collection was consistently refused or impractical)

The local authority has the legal responsibility to arrange a system, and some use pharmacies or hospitals, while others deliver and collect directly. Of course it’s a long time...
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I think officially it’s the Local Authority that has the legal duty, but different areas make different arrangements to satisfy that duty.

My city council are happy to collect my full bin from kerbside, and deliver me a replacement. I just need to book a collection when my bin is nearly full.
 
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