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Disposal of used test strips

S

SophiaW

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,015
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi everyone. I'm curious to know how everyone disposes of their used test strips. I've always put them in the bin, not into the sharps bin. At school they have also been putting the used strips into the bin. However my son said that a few weeks ago he noticed a couple of used test strips lying on the ground outside the classroom at school near my daughter's (who is the diabetic) classroom. I can only think that perhaps the cleaner spilled the contents of the bin or something. However it worried me because these are medical waste aren't they, as they contain a small amount of blood? Should I be supplying the school with a sharps bin to put the test strips into?
 
Personally I dispose of my strips in a sharps bin. When out I put them in an old strips tube kept in the case with my meter and dispose of them when I get home. Perhaps your daughter could do this. (label the one for used stips so that she doesn't get them muddled up)
 
I think Phoenix has the right idea here.

I too always use a sharps bin. Anything with human blood on should always be disposed of carefully. I have an empty container too. Saves putting the onus on others for what is after all, my own personal clinical waste.
 
As far as I'm aware, anything with blood in is supposed to go into bleach. [to eliminate blood borne diseases.]
Actually, I put mine into a tied poly bag and then the bin
 
The packets of test strips say they can be disposed of in the bin. I am a teacher at a primary school, so with similar concerns I use a sharps bin at school, which they dispose of when it gets full. At home I generally use the bin. However, I do use an optium meter, which has individually wrapped strips so make sure that the bloody end goes back into the wrapper before I do so.

Mark
 
I do the same as Mark. When testing at work, I whack them back into the wrapper, ensuring the 'blood' end goes into the bottom. But then, I just throw them in the bin. I'm fairly confident they're not going to be fished out or dropped anywhere so I don't see the problem.
 
I chuck them in the bin!

The actual design of a test strip means that it's impossible to recieve a 'finger prick' injury from a test strip unlike an needle or syringe... So you are left with a very very slim possibity of corss-contamination which in reality you would be more likely to win the lottery several times before contracting anything via cross-contamination form a test strip...

If we turn our minds to what is thrown out in general household rubbish, dirty and bloodied tissues, along side dirty nappies used sanitory items the humble test strip is the least dangerous item!
 
Spot on Jopar! Common sense prevails.
Excellent post.
Jus
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. I think certainly for school I'll have the used test strips put into an old container and returned home for disposal.
 
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