Can your personal medical devices be recycled?
Most of the plastic in your medicine cabinet is high quality, medical grade – and fiendishly difficult to safely throw away, let alone recycle.
The sorting equipment at standard recycling centers typically cannot handle small items, and wanting to take them only prolongs the sorting process, which then increases the recyclers’ costs without saving the plastic. Some medical products for home use, such as needles that have come into contact with bodily fluids, should not even be disposed of with household waste.
Governments and major pharmacy chains provide some guidance. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, for example, has done just that a card with collection boxes for the safe disposal of medicinesAnd Wal vegetables And CFS health have secure drug disposal kiosks in certain locations. She also sell special containers to ship used, discarded needles and medical waste to locations for safe disposal.
But when it comes to recycling plastic devices, from asthma inhalers to insulin and allergy pens, people can play ping-pong without a solution. Some states recommend checking with local pharmacies, who in turn recommend contacting municipal recycling facilities.
“What we really need is an evolving, specialized recycling infrastructure beyond the big five – paper, glass, plastic, metal and cardboard,” says Mitch Ratcliffe, publisher of the website Earth911. “That conversation is really starting to happen in certain categories, but not at all in the field of medical equipment.”
A few designers and companies are exploring alternatives that are more reusable or safer for the environment.
Inhalers
The inhalers that many people use to treat asthma or other respiratory conditions may contain recyclable materials. But those with leftover drugs or propellants can also be dangerous if burned or compacted.
The steel or aluminum containers containing the drug usually must be returned to a pharmacy that accepts medical waste. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America also recommends contacting your local health department, as they sometimes have disposal options.
Metered dose inhalers also use fluorocarbon propellants, a potent greenhouse gas. The approximately 144 million metered dose inhalers that Americans used in 2020 emitted emissions equivalent to six months of driving a million cars. When medically appropriate, inhalers equipped with dry powder or gentle mist are considered greener devices.
Insulin pens and syringes
Insulin pens and auto-injectors for treating allergies typically contain multiple types of plastic in their design, and unless you take them apart, you can’t recycle them without combining the materials into a lower quality product.
To dispose of needles used for allergy applications or blood glucose monitoring, the Food and Drug Administration recommends use of approved waste containers. The puncture-resistant, opaque plastic of an empty detergent or fabric softener bottle can serve as a substitute. Some people use needle cutters to remove the metal end of their needles before throwing them away so they can throw the remaining plastic in the trash.
Information about local disposal programs can be found on the websites of organizations such as Needy medications And the Pharmaceutical Product Stewardship Working Group. Also private waste management companies such as Republic Services offering mail-in programs for an amount.
Prescription pill bottles
Every year, Americans fill billions of prescriptions, often in translucent orange containers made of polypropylene, a recyclable plastic marked No. 5. But most municipal recycling programs won’t accept them because they’re so small they fall through the machine. And the bottles’ vibrant color prevents them from mixing with other plastics, creating a bright recycled product.
The International Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief Organization Matthew 25: Ministries invites people to donate empty bottlesstripped of identifying information, for reuse.
Covid testing
Since 2020, diagnostic tests for Covid at home have become commonplace. It’s tempting to try to recycle the plastic they contain. But the samples in used tests could be a vector of infection, so they should be thrown in the trash.
Some are trying to redesign the tests to be more environmentally friendly. A London-based industrial design firm proposed a biodegradable optionand a laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania led the development of a test made from an organic compound, bacterial cellulose – but both remain prototypes.
And Cabinet of Healtha certified B-Corp company, eliminates single-use plastics by offering medications in refillable glass bottles and refills in compostable pouches.
Other items
Some companies offer collection and recycling services for certain types of household medical waste that municipal programs do not accept. TerraCycle provides mail-in and drop-off services for plastic items including eyewear, such as old glasses and contact lens containers or blister packs, and oral care packaging, such as toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes. The company then sorts and recycles the material and works with manufacturers to turn it into new products.