Sharps Box Disposal Nightmares!

[Senga]

I am quite lucky as my husband works in the hospital so is able to get me sin bins when required although until I started getting the sin bins I always used the clipper (which is supplied on my repeat prescription) to cut the end off my sharps then advised I put them in a glass coffee jar and taped the lid down when I was finished using it these were then put in my household waste bin.

 

[cugila]

You should dispose of your needles, syringes and lancets etc in a sharps disposal box.

A clipper, a device that enables you to safely snap off sharps from your syringes/pens, can also be useful as a method of storage. It is also Clinical Waste. The clipper needs to be disposed of in a sharps disposal box when full in accordance with your local guidelines for clinical waste disposal.

Ken

 

[rogbert]

i'm afraid not all councils are up to date on disposal i have written till i'm blue in the face. my area the doctors,chemists,hospital,clinics and local borough county councils won't take responsibility for the disposal of sharps and will not take the boxes anymore they used to but not now , so like everybody else we put the sharps in a yellow bin and dispose of it in the domestic waste :x

 

[rosie1508]

wow you are all lucky i cant get a sharps bin unless i pay for it myself my gp does not prescribe them my chemist dont have them and the hospital they dont give them out the council cleansing dept says use a empty plastic juice bottle put them in and when full wrap it in paper and put it in with the general rubbish

so thats what i do and i have had no complaints from them

 

[joshmum]

the sharps boxes are on my repeat script, i call my council when i need collection and confirm where i'll leave boxes if i'm out (down side of house). Try calling your council and asking for enviromental services thats what i do?

 

[broomstick 1 flyer]

Hi I found I had the same problem as you but I phoned the local hospital and spoke to someone who said they would find out for me how to dispose of my sharps boxes. A couple of days after speaking to them they phoned me back and said they had spoken to the local council who have a section for disposing of medical waste including sharps boxes, I phoned the council who were reluctant to help me but when I said that the local hospital had told me they can dispose of these things they said I could have my sharps boxes collected but they will not collect less than six boxes so I have to store them until I have 6 to dispose of then I just ring the council and they come round to collect. This is usually early morning about 7am or so but usually I leave my boxes in aarrier bag outside my flat door and they collect them from there. Hope this helps.

 

[JANROU]

Seems like i've been contamining my rubbish for years, i've never been told that the used test strips are classed as clinical waste and therefore shouldn't go in normal household waste. Is there any written guidance anywhere that states what we can and can't dispose of in household rubbish. I must say i'm really confused as if you cut yourself and bleed the plaster and anything else you use to mop up the blood goes in the bin. My surgery prescribe the sharps bins and dispose of them so i'm lucky on that score

 

[cugila]

The rules were made by a Committee.........

Hence they are 'rubbish !!!' Pardon the pun. It seems they change depending on which part of the Country you live in. Various Council's and other organisations make the rules up as they go along always with costs in mind. The Waste Regulations are clear but as usual they get ignored because it is the Council's that enforce them.....or not, as the case may be !

Just do what you think is right and if that is the correct way then fine.......if not. Basically, you have done your best. That's all any of us can do.

Ken

 

[gennie24]

HELLO -- I ASKED AT MY CHEMIST ABOUT SHARP BOX DISPOSAL AS MY G.P. DID NOT KNOW :roll: I WAS DIRECTED TO MY LOCAL HEALTH SERVICE CLINIC WHO WERE ONLY TOO HAPPY TO TAKE THE BOX FROM ME, AS LONG AS IT HAD MY NAME AND ADDRESS ON IT, (WHICH IT DID, THE STICKER WAS STILL ON IT FROM WHEN THE CHEMIST ISSUED IT TO ME. AS FOR TRAVELLING I HAVE FOUND A VERY HANDY POPULAR CHEWING GUM POCKET SIZED PLASTIC TUB WHICH HAS A FLIP TOP LID AND POP MY USED SHARPS IN THIS TILL I GET HOME AND POP THEM IN THE SHARPS BOX.

 

[JanetS]

Readers from a previous post of mine will know that my pharmacist (initially!) didn't issue me with my prescribed sharps box, stating it wasn't necessary. I went away on holiday and used an IKEA tin to put the lancets in and a few days ago, when I returned home, I went to his shop and just boldly asked for it. No explanation, no pleading, just...asked for it! And got it! Yay! It's just a small 1 litre one, but it will take me forever to fill.

Until then, I shan't worry about its disposal, but guess I will have to, one day!

One happy bunny here.

 

[Petrolhead276]

My wife recently had this issue of disposing of sharps from her test machine and victosa injections.

So I checked the local council website (castle point - CPBC); this pointed me to a government page, which then sent me back to the local council website.

So after a further read of the castle point pages it appeared that Essex County council were responsible.

So I wrote to both Essex CC & CPBC pointing out the inadequacy of the information provided and ask g them to advise in writing the process to dispose of sharps bin contents.

Thecreply i received stated that CPBC will be taking this on in Nov 2018; and in the meantime agreement has been reached with the NHS that GP surgery &/or chemist will dispose of them.

I thought this might help others. If all else fails write to your local council and ask for a written answer.

 

[Ojustaboo]

Just rang my council (Great Yarmouth) and they said the hospital/surgery should have provided me with a sharps bin and I take it back to the surgery. As they wont prescribe testing strips etc for type 2, not sure what I'm supposed to do.

Edit: Just phoned my surgery and they are happy to give me one and for me to return it to them when full

 

[Ojustaboo]

Picked up my box from the surgery a couple of hrs ago. 7lt. Will probably take 5 years to fill

 

[rosco 2]

It’s an interesting issue with no one answer covering UK. In my area - east London - you have to contact the local council to collect. Presumably they will collect full container and drop off a new empty one. I live in hope...
The drink can solution is often used by injecting drug users who want to be conscientious re sharps disposal.

 

[Daphne917]

When I had my op and was on heparin jabs for a month the hospital supplied the sharps box and said my local council should pick them up when finished. I rang my local council who arranged to pick them up on a particular day - I just left it outside. They also provide new boxes if required.

 

[hill4332]

I place a script online with my normal meds and both pick up dispose of via our local pharmacy .South Worcestershire