Most of the plastic in your medicine cabinet is high-quality medical grade and is incredibly difficult to safely dispose of, let alone recycle.
Sorting equipment at standard recycling centers typically cannot handle small items, and their inclusion will hopefully prolong the sorting process, increasing costs for recyclers without having to recover plastics. Some household medical products, such as needles, that have been in contact with body fluids should not be classified as household waste.
The government and large pharmacy chains provide some guidance. For example, New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation has drop-off bin maps for safely disposing of medications, and Walgreens and CVS Health have safe medication disposal kiosks in some locations. We also sell special containers for transporting used and discarded needles and medical waste to sites for safe disposal.
But when it comes to recycling plastic devices, from asthma inhalers to insulin and allergy pens, people can find themselves playing ping pong without a solution. Some states recommend contacting your local pharmacy, which in turn recommends contacting your municipal recycling facility.
“What we really need is an advanced, specialized recycling infrastructure with the big five: paper, glass, plastic, metal and cardboard,” said Mitch Ratcliffe, publisher of the website Earth911. “That conversation is really picking up steam in some specific categories, but not at all in medical devices.”
Some designers and companies are exploring alternatives that are reusable or safer for the environment.
inspirator
The inhalers that many people use to treat asthma and other respiratory illnesses contain potentially recyclable materials. However, any remaining chemicals or propellants can be dangerous if incinerated or compressed.
Steel or aluminum containers containing medications should be returned to pharmacies, which typically handle medical waste. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America recommends checking with your local health department, as they sometimes have disposal options.
Metered-dose inhalers also use hydrofluorocarbon propellants, which are powerful greenhouse gases. The estimated 144 million metered-dose inhalers used by Americans in 2020 produced emissions equivalent to driving one million cars for six months. When medically appropriate, inhalers equipped with dry powder or nebulizer are considered more environmentally friendly devices.
Insulin pen and syringe
Insulin pens and auto-injectors for allergy treatment typically contain multiple types of plastic in their designs, and unless they break down, they cannot be recycled without mixing the materials into lower-quality products.
To dispose of needles used for allergy use or blood sugar monitoring, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends using an approved disposal container. Empty non-porous, opaque plastic bottles of laundry detergent or fabric softener can be used instead. Some people use a needle sharpener to remove the metal tip of the needle and throw the remaining plastic in the trash.
Information about local disposal programs can be found on the websites of organizations such as Needy Meds and Pharmaceutical Product Stewardship Work Group. Private waste disposal companies, such as Republic Services, also offer paid mail-in programs.
prescription pill bottle
Every year, Americans fill billions of prescriptions in translucent orange containers made from polypropylene, a recycled plastic labeled No. 5. However, most city recycling programs will not accept this chemical because it is too small and falls through the machines. And the vivid colors of the bottles make it impossible to mix them with other plastics to get a transparent recycled product.
Matthew 25: Ministry, an international humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization, invites people to donate empty bottles with identifying information removed for reuse.
covid test
Since 2020, at-home diagnostic testing for COVID-19 has become common. It is tempting to try to recycle the plastic it contains. However, the samples used in the tests should be disposed of in the trash as they can be vectors for infection.
Some are trying to redesign the test to be more environmentally friendly. A London-based industrial design company proposed a biodegradable option and a lab at the University of Pennsylvania led the development of a test made from bacterial cellulose, an organic compound, but both remain prototypes.
And Cabinet Health, a certified B-Corp company, eliminates single-use plastic by offering medications in refillable glass bottles and refills in compostable pouches.
other things
Some companies offer services to collect and recycle certain types of household medical waste that are not permitted by municipal programs. TerraCycle offers mail-and-drop service for plastic items, including old glasses, eyewear such as contact lens containers or blister packs, and oral care packaging such as toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes. The company then sorts and recycles the materials and works with manufacturers to turn them into new products.