Medicines
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that somebody else will save it.”
Tips and guidance on how to dispose of out of date or unused medicine safely:
Don’t discard leftover medicines in your kitchen sink or toilet as this can result in environmental contamination. Medicines that are flushed or poured down the drain can end up polluting our waters, impacting aquatic species, and contaminating our food and water supplies.
Don’t throw medicines into the bin. Unwanted medicines are still chemically active when they are thrown in the bin, even if mixed with kitty litter or coffee grounds. Several studies have shown that medicines in a landfill can be released to the local environment through the landfill liquid that may be collected and sent to wastewater treatment plants. Because wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove medicines, they may be discharged to rivers and bays.
If you put medicine into an open bin in your home, there’s a more immediate risk. They could be found by a child or someone for whom they weren’t intended, with dangerous consequences.
Anyone in the UK with medicines to dispose of can take them to a community pharmacy where the team will manage their safe disposal. Pharmacists and their teams may take additional precautions when accepting items directly from individuals, in recognition of the potential infection risk. They may also face an additional hurdle if there have been problems or delays in emptying their own waste medicine bins. If you have something unusual to return then do ask the pharmacy team first. For example, sharps, needles or veterinary medicines will not be accepted.
If you have sharps or needles that you need to dispose of, a sharps bin is a specially designed box with a lid that you can get on prescription (FP10 prescription form) from a GP or pharmacist. You can use your sharps bin to dispose of medical supplies such as: needles, syringes, lancets used with finger-pricking devices and clippers. When full, the box may be collected for disposal by your local council. You can find out more from your local council's website using this search tool.
If your pharmacist is temporarily unable to accept unwanted medicines, follow the guidance below to make sure you store it safely at home until you can dispose of it via the pharmacy.
– Keep unwanted medicines securely in a labelled box or sealed bag
– Make sure they are out of the sight and reach of children and pets
– Consider storing them in a garage or attic space, if you have one, until they can be returned to the pharmacy
– Don’t leave them near heat sources or running water
Remember that you can recycle any cardboard packaging and paper leaflets that come with your medicine – and look out for a scheme under which empty medicine blister packs can be recycled at special bins in Superdrug shops across the UK.
