Can the Freestyle Libre applicator be recycled?

[Rosie9876]

Abbott should have a scheme to recycle Libre applicators. As far as I know, they are not suitable for recycling and it all adds up to a lot of plastic waste.

 

[KennyA]

I guess there's a health/contamination issue with that. There will be bodily fluids on the sensor and I assume would be treated similarly to surgical waste, which iirc is always incinerated.

 

[agylli]

I take the needle and spring out of the applicator and put all the plastic in the local recycling.

 

[syzyq]

Likewise i have only recently started using the libre system, which i must say is working well for me, however I also have issue with recycling. i am going to ask my surgery if i can place the sensor in their yellow surgical waste and then recycle the plastic in my general plastic waste bin.

 

[sgm14]

i am going to ask my surgery if i can place the sensor in their yellow surgical waste

Because it has a battery and the waste is incinerated, the answer is no.

The official line regarding recycling is : (from https://www.freestyle.abbott/uk-en/search.html?q=sharps)

Used or unused Sensor packaging can go in general waste.

Once the Sensor has been placed on the arm, the used applicator (which contains a needle) and the lid can be screwed back together and can be placed in a yellow biohazard bag or sharps box.

The used Sensors are not sharps. The used sensor should be removed and wiped down with disinfectant, and then disposed of as electrical waste (the same as a battery).

But like agylli and others, I remove the needle from the applicator and recycle as plastic.