I’ve been using some of the extra time quarantine has provided to knock out projects I’ve been putting off around the house. This past weekend I decided to clean out my medicine drawer because it’s been several years since I’ve done so. I quickly filled up a box with expired products but when it came time to dispose of them, I had no clue what to do. I didn’t know whether the containers were safe to recycle or whether the pills could/should be thrown into the trash. To finish this project, I needed to find the best way to deal with this kind of waste.
Let’s start with how to dispose of the medicine itself. Back in the day people used to flush old medicines down the toilet but we’ve since learned that this contaminates our water ways. Now a days old medicines are run through special incinerators to dispose of them safely. Biannually the DEA does a Take Back Day where temporary disposal sites are set up across the United States. The DEA’s website also has a locator for authorized collectors in your area so you can find places to dispose of your old pills safely year round. I live in Richmond, Virginia and there were 7 drop off locations within 10 miles of me.
Next let’s look at how to dispose of medical packaging. Medicine comes in a variety of containers: pill bottles, blister packs, liquid bottles, spray bottles, dropper bottles, and syringes to name only a few. To better understand my local recycling options for these kinds of packages I first reached out to my curbside recycling program to see what types of plastic are accepted in my jurisdiction. My local recycling company accepts #1-7 food grade plastics. I’d recommend starting by checking to see whether yours accepts these kinds of plastics too. If your local recycling company accepts these types of plastic, combine leftover medicines into as few bottles as possible and recycle the empty bottles. If your local recycling company doesn’t accept these kinds of plastics there are other options out there.
Pill Bottles
There are two different types of pill bottles, the pill bottles you get when you pick up a prescription medicine and the pill bottles that are used for over the counter medicines. Prescription pill bottles are often made of #5 plastic. Bottles that hold over-the-counter medication are most commonly made of #1, #2, and #5 plastics.
Preserve offers recycling for #5 plastics though their program called Gimme 5. They turn these recycled plastics into new goods such as razors, tooth brushes, and cutting boards. Your #5’s can be mailed in (currently suspended due to COVID-19) or dropped off in the bins located at some Whole Food stores. Note: If you mail in your #5 plastics you’ll be responsible for the shipping costs under this program.
Matthew 25 Ministries accepts donations of empty plastic pill bottles (both types) to use in shipments of medical supplies and for shredding and recycling. As with mailing in donations to Gimme 5, you’d be responsible for the shipping costs.
Blister Packs
Blister Packs can be recycled with a fair amount of difficulty. Blister packs come in different varieties. Some are made completely out of aluminum and some are made of a mixture of plastic, aluminum, and paper. If your recycling company accepts aluminum foil (mine doesn’t) you can recycle the strictly aluminum blister packs entirely once you’ve removed all of the medicines. Mixed blister packs will have to be separated by hand before being able to be recycled. The plastic parts should be placed inside a larger plastic container such as a milk jug to help aid their journey through the recycling plant. The aluminum foil bits should be saved and combined until the size of a tennis ball and then can be recycled (again only if your company accepts aluminum foil).
Unrecyclable Packaging: Nasal Spray Nozzles, Syringes, Glass Ampoules
Some types of medical waste can’t be recycled unfortunately. I couldn’t find any ways to recycle the plastic nozzles from nasal sprays such as Flonase. The company had a program through Terracycle very briefly but this program is no longer in operation.
Syringes must be disposed of in designated sharps containers. There are no recycling programs for this type of medical waste,however. Once the syringes are collected from the sharps containers they are taken to a sterilization facility. At this facility the needles either go through a simple incineration process or the more complicated and environmentally friendly autoclave.
Glass ampoules, which have also been gaining popularity in skin care, are not recyclable in the United States.
The research I did on this topic was a bit disheartening. In 2018, healthcare spending in the US alone was $3.6 trillion, or $11,172 per person. There is no real figure for the amount of medical waste created in the US during the same year but I can only imagine it’s not pretty. I’ve always been a firm believer that we are able to vote with our dollars but this is an industry where consumer demand for more environmentally friendly packaging is up against heavy regulations in place for product safety. Not only that but the consumer has less control than in most other purchasing decisions. You may be able to select an over the counter based on its packaging but have little to no control over the selection of the prescription medicine that is prescribed by your doctor.
It seems that when it comes to the medical waste problem the best thing you can do is take care of yourself. Eat well, exercise, and get lots of sleep. By staying healthy you can reduce the amount of medicine you need and the associated waste.
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