“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it” – Robert Swan

♻️Diabetes Waste

Managing Diabetes comes along with using a lot of single-use plastic materials designed to create a more sanitary and safe experience for the patient. While these single-use plastics are good in terms of the safety aspect, they can negatively impact the environment due to the high volume of plastic waste. Not only are the Insulin pens made of plastic, but the packaging that many of the monitors and pumps come in are as well. With the many individuals using diabetic supplies around the world every day, the accumulation of plastic waste is significant. If those individuals are not careful, these supplies may end up in the waste systems furthering environmental damage.

♻️How to Reduce Waste?

Many used insulin supplies cannot be recycled because they contain needles or other non – recyclable components, which classifies them as medical waste. Nevertheless, other steps can be taken, and items can be recycled to lessen our environmental impact and be as eco-friendly as possible. 

📌 If you are someone who uses a continuous glucose monitor or a different electronic device such as an insulin pump, you can take these used products to an electronic waste center. At an electronic waste center, they can use parts from the old supplies and repurpose them for new devices. 

📌 Check with your community to determine their protocols for medical waste and sharps. Ensuring that these products are properly disposed prevents them from ending up in landfills and contributing to more waste. Additionally, if you have used sharps such as Ozempic or Mounjaro, you can take advantage of the sharps disposal programs and send in these used products at no cost.

gardening♻️Donating UNUSED Supplies

If you are looking for somewhere to drop off your unused diabetes supplies Insulin For Life USA is a good option. This platform takes unused:

  • Insulin Vials, Pens, Cartridges 
  • A1C Test Kits
  • Glucose Test Strips and Meters 
  • Keto Stix
  • Lancing Devices and Lancets
  • Insulin Syringes
  • Pen Needles
  • Insulin Pump Supplies 
  • Continue Glucose Monitoring Systems

Donating your unused supplies to Insulin for Life USA is a great way to eliminate waste and help others in need. By giving back your old supplies, they can be reused instead of thrown away making sure someone gets use out of the products instead of going to waste.

Summary
One person alone may not be able to change the world by recycling and turning in their diabetic supplies, but collectively, we can make an impact on the diabetes community. By promoting the recycling and proper disposal of both used and unused diabetic supplies. Look out for programs in your community that you can contribute to, and spread the word about these programs to help keep our planet a greener place.