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Freestyle Libre sensor battery?

Blackers183

Blackers183

Well-Known Member
Does anyone pull apart the sensor to remove the battery before disposing the sensor in the rubbish?

In Australia batteries are not supposed to go into landfill and there are battery recycling centres, although I’m not sure what happens to the batteries in recycling.

I’ve just started pulling apart the sensor and removing the battery before putting the sensor in the rubbish.

Cheers
David
T1 39 years. MDI
 
I put the complete sensor in a local battery recycling collection point.

I think I read that this is the recommended way from Abbott.
 
Blackers183 said:
Does anyone pull apart the sensor to remove the battery before disposing the sensor in the rubbish?

In Australia batteries are not supposed to go into landfill and there are battery recycling centres, although I’m not sure what happens to the batteries in recycling.

I’ve just started pulling apart the sensor and removing the battery before putting the sensor in the rubbish.

Cheers
David
T1 39 years. MDI
Click to expand...


I don't know where you are but I'm down on the southcoast and I asked my local authority what they wanted me to do with used Libres. I took it apart and photographed all the bits including the battery and circuit board etc.

It confused them for a while but they eventually told me to put the whole sensor in the sharps bin and the rest in general refuse. I suppose that I could collect parts for a couple of years and go to the local tip with a bag full of springs etc but it's a lot of faff to get them apart.

Take a look at this old thread.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/libre-disposal.90162/#post-1704862
 
Surely sharps are just incinerated? So what ever is in the sensor will end up in the atmosphere.

I went to my local recycling centre a few years back with a lot of hard plastic (toys) and the appropriate skip was closed off. The assistant said put it in general waste. When I pushed him on it he said that all goes to landfill.

I feel we are conned a bit here. They convinced us all it was the right thing to do and now they can't rewind. The contractor just does what is economic and not necessarily ecological.
 
So far I've saved my sensors and the part of the applicator with the spring/needle in it. Rest gets any stickers taken off and goes to recycling. Cardboard box and clear plastic cover are clearly recyclable, I took apart the 'base' which the sensor is stored in initially and it was all plastic so assumed that was OK to recycle too.
The sensors don't take up much space so hoping I can keep them until they're recyclable! The batteries in them have loads of capacity still seems silly to throw away.
 
I've been separating out the bits when the sensor is applied.

Cardboard and plastic bits go into recycling.
Applicator with the springs in goes into rubbish.
Used sensor goes into the sharps bin.

I hadn't considered the battery but I doubt that it is effective to process it.
 
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