Sarah Howard
Sarah Howard has worked in the diabetes research field ever since she was diagnosed with T1D while in college in May 2013. Since then, she has worked for various diabetes organizations, focusing on research, advocacy, and community-building efforts for people with T1D and their loved ones. Sarah is currently the Senior Marketing Manager at T1D Exchange.
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Do you recycle any of the trash from your T1D supplies? Share your tips for reducing T1D waste in the comments! Cancel reply
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I recycle the G6 insertion plastic/metal holder. That is, I put it in our biweekly recycle box. Whether the guys who sort it keep it or throw it out, I do not know. I know they do not accept styrofoam or any paper with rubbish or food on them. ¯\_( ͡╯ ͜ʖ ͡╰)_/¯
I recycle all paper inserts, cardboard boxes, but have a sharps container for the rest. Insulin vials go in the trash because there is always a drip inside so cannot recycle.
I recycle all of the paper and cardboard. I pull out all sharps and safely contain them, but have yet to find anywhere to recycle the plastic parts of my infusion sets or my sensors. I think it’s a shame that the rest can’t be recycled.
Empty cardboard boxes yes, but ALL the rest must be considered as “Sharps” thus I use the B&D 5 Gallon Sharps container
The cardboard boxes they arrive in and the larger plastic pieces that the sensor and cannula come in. All the smaller pieces go into the trash.
Cardboard and paper, plus the Dexcom inserter device. But, like Ahh Life, I don’t know if the Dexcp, thing is really recycled or thrown out. Looks to be mostly plastic and metal, seems like it should recycle.
Insulin boxes and the Dexcom box and plastic container.
Our trash collector does not accept any of the items for recycling other than the corrugated boxes that they sometimes come in if shipped rather than from a pharmacy.
sometimes….
I would if I knew how to recycle the items. I feel bad about trashing the styrofoam boxes used to ship insulin.
Recycle my insulin inhaler and my insulin cartridges. When I’m finished with the pieces I simply wash them out all at once biweekly and put into the blue recycle bin.
> Ernie Richmann – I would if I knew how to recycle the items. I feel bad about..
Same here. I have 4 boxes of used Omnipods, and I just started the G6 which looks like a plastic-waste nightmare. But on balance, I suppose it *might* be comparable to the wastage of the G5 inserter.
Idea: Could Dexcom build the metal “insertion needle” into the sensor itself, and then have a reusable inserter mechanism? (Sadly, I haven’t learned Autodesk Fusion enough to make a mock up of what this might look like.)
I plan to box up two or four months worth of G6 inserters and all the Omnipods, and then send half to the CEOs of Dexcom and Omnipod, along with a note asking kindly that I’d like at least the mercury batteries to be responsibly disposed of. Talk to Apple about designing a robot to slice and dice the pods apart. Aka “Dexcom-Daisy” [1]. It would make a really neat commercial as well.
Another idea would be to send the plastic to Filabot to make filament for 3D printing. [2]
And the useless-for-anyone-except-new-patients “helpful insert” (wrapped in plastic film) in the Dexcom boxes.
They could sell the idea to the public, insurance companies, and the Biden administration as being environmentally responsible and “ESG” and all that jazz. As well as providing an example of how the *private market* (as opposed to government) can and *must* be the ones to solve our environmental problems. The government will almost certainly mis-allocate (at least some) resources, and the idea we can solve the problems with only *currently* available technology is ludicrous (the currently fashionable “we-can-ban-plastic-bags our way out of our planetary mess” vein of thinking). [3]
[1] Google “Apple ipod disassembly robot”
[2] https://www.filabot.com
[3] “How a Physicist Became a Climate Truth Teller.” (Wall Street Journal April 16, 2021; Holman W. Jenkins, Jr.) [https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-a-physicist-became-a-climate-truth-teller-11618597216]:
“[Steven Koonin, a former scientist in the Obama Energy Department:] ‘Let technology and markets work at their own pace.’ [..] [Koonin’s] expectations are ruled by a keen sense of realities. [Column author, Holman Jenkins] never met anyone of serious judgment who didn’t privately pooh-pooh the idea that humanity will control CO2 by means other than the mostly unregulated progress of markets and technology. Mr. Koonin nods his agreement.
Even John Kerry, Joe Biden’s climate czar, recently admitted that Mr. Biden’s ‘net-zero’ climate plan will have zero effect on the climate if developing countries don’t go along (and they have little incentive to do so).
Mr. Koonin hopes that ‘a graceful out for everybody’ will be to see the impulse for global climate regulation ‘morph’ into much more impactful local environmental action: smog, plastic, green jobs. Forget the global aspect of this. This is a view widely shared and little expressed.”
Only some of the plastic parts. Alas…….Where I live there is no collection point for syringes. Keep the needle points in a jug for the future.
Carol, In my municipality the cost of disposal is on the patient. There is a huge fine for placing medical sharps in regular trash. I question how other sharps like razor blades & likely others are not under restrictions. Be that as it may
I buy sharps mail-in containers from Sharps Assure but only when they are on sale. Cost of B-D containers is ridiculous.
I was appalled when I saw how much more waste plastic was associated with the DEXCOM G6 sensor system than the G5 that they discontinued. I’m surprised at how many folks here said that they recycled the G6 applicator without mentioning if they removed the needle. In theory, those applicators are medical waste (because of the needle) and cannot be put in recycling. This whole issue of medical waste is upsetting because there is no clear way of disposing of the material without considerable inconvenience — it’s like the situation with batteries, which also are not supposed to go in trash or recycling. Governments should make it far easier to dispose of these items as they should be if there is really any serious harm done by their improper disposal.
@Thomas Cline (see my comment further down)
Thomas, You are correct about retracted needle. I was instructed however at PSU Medical Center to place the applicator in regular trash.
Yes, there is a lot of waste generated. I use mail-in sharps disposal containers from Sharps Assure. I buy containers while they are on sale.
Re: Applicator – Besides containing the retracted needle the type of plastic used for the applicator is not recyclable. Our own municipality is very specific as to types of plastic that can be recycled. New national guidelines more narrow than in past. Arrows in a triangle does not mean something can be recycled. Just saw national news segment on cost of removing unusable plastics & types of cardboards that should go directly into waste. May soon be difficult to find companies willing to deal with recyclables. For sake of us & environment I hope not.
I remove the inserter needle from the G6 applicator, add that and the needle/syringe combo from the Tandem t:slim insulin cartridge to my BD Sharps container. All of the shipping, pump supplies boxes, Dexcom plastic/boxes, empty insulin vials/boxes go into the recycle dumpster on our apartment parking lot. I don’t know how much of that is actually recycled. The over packaging of the pump and CGM supplies and the continuation of using non-recycled materials in their production is appalling. I have voiced my continued concern in emails to Dexcom and Tandem, without receiving more than acknowledgement of the issue. At least I know my used sharps are being disposed of properly. I’m grateful that the pharmacy is still accepting the filled sharps containers.
Cardboard and paper pieces only. None of the plastic is actually recyclable in any way. For the G6 retractable needle, since I dispose of the applicator in the trash the needle can stay in there as per my local needle disposal laws
Just boxes, cardboard and some infusion set plastic part, not paper part. It is so hard to figure out what is and what is not. All my sharps go in a container and I drop them off at our local recycling center. They take them free. Just wish I didn’t need separate plastic wrappers for needle, syringe etc. It seems to be such a waste. Sigh!
This is such an important issue and SO hard to manage from the concerned patient perspective!
I recycle as much as I can… and hope that smarter people than me can figure out how to “net zero” the rest!!
Like others, I also wish that it was clearer what is recyclable and easier to make it happen.
I use Stericycle to dispose of sharps including the retractable G6 needle.
I recycle the boxes and any paper that is part of the wrapping. Unfortunately so much of the packaging and products are not recyclable.
I answered “No” and then realized that I DO recycle the boxes and paper inserts. Where I live, none of the other packaging or component parts is recyclable.
We reused the heavier boxes to separate arts and crafts the other stuff like the sharps they charge you to take it plastic and paper is non recyclable so we just throw it away
I also said no, but then realized of course I recycle the cardboard boxes they come in. But ALL that plastic can’t be recycled where I live. I do use my infusion sets for about 6 days, and my Dexcom sensors for 20, so at least I’m “reusing” in that way, creating less trash than otherwise! I hate the amount of waste generated, and wish the companies would prioritize less waste and recyclable materials!
A comment re: Jim White to Dave Akers:
“I plan to box up two or four months worth of G6 inserters and all the Omnipods, and then send half to the CEOs of Dexcom and Omnipod, along with a note asking kindly that I’d like at least the mercury batteries to be responsibly disposed of.”
Hah! Great idea! What a statement that would make if many of us product users boxed up 6 months of product waste and sent it back to the CEOs at product headquarters and asked them to seriously consider and figure out a way to address the waste problem with their redundant paper instruction guides and plastic packaging.
I recycle anything I can, but as in the previous question, I want the highest quality and am so grateful for the improvements in treatment over my 61 years of being type 1. There can always be improvements, but without innovations I would probably be dead, so I take that as number 1.
Only recyclable is cardboard/paper, Its not recycling but I extend life of Dexcom and reuse pump reservoirs to save $ and waste. There has to be a better way of shipping insulin. Anyone interested in styrofoam coolers with ice packs?
I used to recycle my Omnipods but they don’t have that program anymore. I’d like to know more about how to recycle my pods and my Dexcom G6 used supplies.
This is a big complaint of mine. I find that the Medical profession, including our diabetic materials has little that is recycleable. I think the medical industry can improve drastically in manufacturing recycleable materials.
I recycle the following T1D Supplies: test strip bottles, Dexcom G6 outer plastic packaging, any paper product inserts/instructions, all supply boxes. The rest of the materials are not marked with a recycle tag so I dispose of them.
In New York, my county provided containers and places to turn in used needles, etc. Here in Florida you can buy a container and send it somewhere. I just throw mine in the garbage now as this disease is expensive enough without the hassle of that.