Does anyone receive fridge-cooled items in the post packed with "coolant gel"?

[BadaBing]

Hello

Following the closure of my nearest pharmacy I am now getting my insulin sent to me via Royal Mail. My first delivery was packed with a couple of clear plastic bags containing what I thought was frozen water to keep it cool.

The liquid inside the bag has now melted and I've discovered the liquid inside isn't just water, but water and some sort of polymer.

The melted liquid inside is viscous and I am reluctant to simply pour it down a sink or flush it down my toilet for fear it might block eventually said drains/toilets and also contaminate (our already contaminated) water systems.

The online pharmacy I get my insulins from via post suggests that it might be OK to pour "some" (whatever that actually means - the unfrozen gel is between roughly 350ml-500ml in liquid form) of the gel down the drain or down a toilet.

I found the website of a UK manufacturer/distributor/seller of coolant gel packaging which is used to transport goods "business to business" that need to be kept within temperature limits. I don't know if this particular manufacturer/seller makes the packaging my online pharmacist uses. However, the manufacturer/seller's website indicates that the gel in their packaging should not be pored down a drain or flushed down the toilet.

I've asked my local council about the safest and most environmentally friendly way to dispose of the gel, and am still waiting to receive an answer from them (I phoned them initially and they didn't have an answer for me).

Does anyone else receive fridge-cooled medicines in the mail packed in identical/similar packaging? If so, would really appreciate knowing how you manage to dispose of the unfrozen packaging gel.

Many thanks.

 

[Deleted member 475901]

I don't use insulin but do get frozen packs supplied with my monthly organic food delivery - they use water in their packs, and also take the packs back to use again.
Try asking the pharmacy to switch packs and/or reuse them?

 

[jonathan183]

It's not going to be water for insulin as this would result in the insulin being outside recommended temperatures. The pharmacy should be able to advise either safe disposal or have a collection service for safe disposal or better still reuse.

 

[Marie 2]

I get packs in everything sent to me, insulin, chocolate etc because of where I live. We hate throwing stuff like that out when I know lots of people that use them all the time. I send a box full off and on to a girlfriend that sends me baked goods and she sends them back with backed goods! I also have left some on a rack at a particular health store that said people are always looking for them. And I periodically ask some people when they are over if they would like some and mostly they have said yes. I know someone off and on that helps with food giveaways at a church and they love to get some.

Be careful about storing some of them forever on a pantry shelf, some last forever but some eventually leak. We have had some in the fridge we have used forever, we have tossed a few in the trash when they did start leaking. I think most of the gel packs here nowadays are non toxic. Do not put them down the sink, they can clog up the pipes.

Lately we have been getting mostly a gel that says it can be used to fertilize plants, I have been warned to find out exactly what is in them though because of possible additives. But the major ingredients are what is found in a bunch of fertilizers, polymers is common, but I don't know if there is a difference in the polymers used. It's becoming more of an issue as people that get meal kit deliveries get a bunch constantly and they end up piling them up or having to dispose of them. So in the US it is becoming more of a thing to be able to do something with them because of waste.

But where I am at, because of our year round warmer weather and a lot of beach going, people are happy to get them as they use them a lot.