General Chat

I got fed up with the packaging from the supermarket we use where it says not yet recyclable so I saved it all in one of their not yet recyclable carrier bags and gave it to the manager saying I will do it again :-D.

I was in Marks and Spencer’s today and noticed that they have a box where you can

put such items.
The Co op also have a collection point.

That is very sensible, all shops should have it.

There are a lot of items that now have a 'recycle at large supermarkets' label on and its no trouble at all to save them in a bag and drop them off, same as pop out pill packets.

What would be better is if they made all packaging recyclable.

Lyndi
I'd not come across the recycling of the pill blister packs - who takes them?

Names

namelessone, I take mine to a branch of Superdrug.

The one in the town nearest to me doesn't do it, but that maybe because there is no pharmacy at that one.

The branch in the next town with a pharmacy (not too far and I stay on the same bus) takes them,

Thanks, I might start saving them for the odd occasion someone goes to the big town.

Names

I take my blister packs into a larger branch of Superdrug too.
I just save them up at home in one of the large paper bags that prescriptions come in, then shake the packs out into the tall box by the pharmacy counter in the shop.

I saw a box in Sainsbury's for recycling certain plastics, like bread wrappers etc.

I have just been to Tesco and took along my two bags of 'soft plastics' for recycling.

The container has been joined by another - for recycling makeup!! It was a bright red box and has Maybelline on the box but then states all brands can be recycled. I must take more note next time of what exactly is acceptable. ;-)

I can recycle almost everything. Our local Coop takes soft plastics and also batteries, while almost everything else goes in one of the bins.

About the only thing that can't be recycled here is tinfoil - not just pill packs but also the containers for some fresh food. I use them as tins for cooking for a while, but eventually they split.

In either the 1970s or 1980s there was a long dustbin strike in London. My mother didn't want an overflowing bin so gave back all the packaging to the local store. After paying for her shopping she took off all the packaging, still at the till, and handed it back to the cashier. She always went prepared with her own containers etc. When the strike ended after some weeks she only had about half a dustbin of rubbish.

I was glad to have left home by then because it must have really embarrassing!

I re cycle my inhalers and batteries at my local pharmacy...

During lockdown we had accumulated lots of sharp boxes and unused tablets but when we asked our GP surgery where we can dispose of them they said, we cant take them, just put them in your general rubbish bin!
I said, I would rather not as 1, they all had my name & address on the packets, 2 if they got in the wrong hands, that could be dangerous.

So we phoned a pharmacy some 20 miles away in town and eventually after restrictions eased, they made an exception and took them off our hands. The reason we had so many was during my illnesses I was on many different tabs that kept being swapped over and that created a huge pile of unwanted meds. Such a waste.

Where exactly are you supposed to dispose of unused tabs if you cant get to a chemist etc..?

Florence in the hebrides

I’ve never asked a pharmacy to take my unused tabs, I’ve always just handed a bag over and they,ve been accepted. Surely that would be the same for sharps. Whoever gave you the sharps boxes should be prepared to take back the full ones.

Our village pharmacy, a branch of Boots, takes back anything you give them, without any problem. In fact at the moment OH is on eye drops which have to be disposed of after 30 days, so every time we pick up his repeat prescription we give the remains of the old bottle to the pharmacist.

Jacqueline - your mum, a woman I have great respect for! :-D :-D

Florence, the pharmacy that issues your medication should take back any unused medication. It shouldn't be an 'exception'. :-(

I just wish the pharmacy/doctor's surgery wouldn't keep missing an important medication off my prescription :-|

I've only been taking it for a few months, but every time I've had to point out what is missing. I then get it - and a new prescription - but again, this medication is missing from the prescription. . :-S

All our meds are dispensed from village surgery 6 miles away including the sharps box.But they wouldn't take them back full so daughter had to go to the diabetic centre to get rid of them!
The chemist in town will now take unused tabs. The GP surgery said , they cant reissue the unused tabs even though they are sealed in blister packs and wont take them back.
Throwing them in the general waste worries me so daughter has to bus it 20 miles to hand in the chemist.

Maggie, is this new prescription on repeat? because if it isn't thats why it doesnt come automatically and presumable each time you request it, it needs to be signed off by a doctor maybe? Look at the list of meds you get with your prescription and see what it says.

Florence - definitely a repeat - it says 'don't stop taking this medication unless your doctor tells you to stop'.
It's an inhaler.
When I had it in a different -unpalatable - it was like sucking in dust - form, it was on the prescription. Now it's been changed to the (apparently) less environmentally friendly, but easier to take form, it's not on the prescription.

Maybe they're hoping I'll go back to the sucking in dust format.

Once an item has been dispensed it cannot be reissued to someone else.
Pharmacies can safely dispose of them. It is the same for Scotland as it is in england