Recycling diabetes supplies

Insulin Pens

Disposable insulin pens are the most commonly used devices for injecting insulin. Although these pens are 77% plastic, they unfortunately cannot be recycled in Australia. This results in over 9 million insulin pens ending up in landfill every year.

Reusable insulin pens, made of metal, offer a greener alternative. They allow repeated use by swapping out an insulin cartridge. They are available for most types of insulins and different coloured pens are available to easily identify short-acting insulin and long-acting insulin.

Reusable pens can be ordered at your local pharmacy, where your pharmacist can guide you through the process of loading the insulin cartridge into the pen. Once loaded, the reusable pen functions the same as the disposable pen. However, before transitioning to a reusable pen, it is essential you consult your diabetes team to ensure its suitability for you and to ensure it is compatible with the type of insulin you use. To make the switch, your doctor or nurse practitioner will need to adjust your insulin prescription from disposable pens to insulin cartridges.

Other advantages to using reusable pens include:

• Less space is required for storing insulin in the fridge
• Less space is required for storing insulin when travelling
• Some reusable pens also have additional features such as recording time of doses
• Others can connect and upload dose data to continuous glucose monitoring software

Blister packs

Blister packs (the packaging for pills and tablets), pose a recycling challenge as they also cannot be processed through regular kerbside recycling bins. Local councils lack the machinery to separate the aluminium from the plastic, resulting in approximately 300 million blister packs ending up in landfill each year. This staggering number doesn't even account for supplements and over-the-counter products, making the actual usage even higher.

Fortunately, an environmentally friendly solution is available. Pharmacycle provides a dedicated recycling initiative which collects, processes, and recycles blister packs. There are over 330 designated collection bins nationwide. You can locate a drop-off point near you using the following link: Pharmacycle blister pack drop-off locator.

Alternatively, people can opt for convenient at-home recycling satchels. These satchels can be filled at home and sent in for recycling. The cost for this option is $29.95 which covers the satchel, return post, and the entire end-to-end recycling process. Use the following link recycle at home satchel to purchase.

Batteries

Proper disposal of batteries is super important. Avoid discarding batteries in general waste, as the heavy metals in them can leach into the soil and contaminate our water supply.

Batteries from blood glucose meters can be recycled but not through our at-home recycling bins. Instead, they should be recycled using designated collection bins at select retailers such as Aldi, Bunnings, and Officeworks. Many local council offices and libraries provide battery recycling bins for your convenience.

Electronic Waste

Electronic waste such as blood glucose meters or insulin pumps can also be an environmental hazard where heavy metals and chemicals are released into the environment if they end up as landfill. Instead, these items can be disposed of at e-waste recycling points. Contact your local council office or visit the Recycling Near You website to find a drop off point.

Out of date insulin and medications

It is important not to use any diabetes medicines, including insulin, beyond the expiry date. This also applies to insulin, or medications stored outside the manufacturer's recommendations. Insulin stored for more than 28 days outside the refrigerator or insulin that has been exposed to temperatures below 4°C or above 25°C should not be used. These medicines and insulins may not work the way they are meant to and can lead to elevated glucose levels. Rather than discarding these items in general waste, return them to a pharmacy for proper disposal. This ensures medications are disposed of safely and don’t contaminate the environment. Find out more about returning your medications at ReturnMed.

Unwanted diabetes supplies within expiry date

If you have unused insulin or other diabetes supplies that you no longer need rather than throwing them out, you may be able to donate them to Insulin for Life Australia. This is a not-for-profit organisation that collects and distributes insulin and other diabetes supplies that would otherwise be wasted and donates them to third world countries.

Each year Insulin for Life collects and distributes approximately:

• 300,000 mls of insulin (equal to 30,000 x 10 ml vials, or 100,000 x 3 ml penfil cartridges)
• 6,000 boxes of blood glucose test strips (300,000 strips)
• Blood glucose testing meters, insulin pens, pen needles and syringes.

All donated supplies (insulin, blood glucose test strips, blood glucose meters or sharps) need to be unopened, unused and have more than six months left before their expiry date. Use the website Insulin for Life and complete their online form if you are interested in donating.

Unfortunately, some items will end up in landfill for lack of an alternative. Thankfully, it is not just consumers who are concerned with diabetes waste. In fact, some insulin manufacturers are trying to make a difference through a recycling program where old insulin pens are being used to produce office furniture like chairs and lamps. This program is currently being trialled in Denmark, Brazil, and the UK.

Hopefully, the program will one day be available in Australia. Until then – let’s make a difference by recycling as much as we can and disposing of waste responsibly. This all helps contribute to a more sustainable and responsible approach to managing diabetes waste and contributing to a greener and cleaner environment.