Approximately, over 422 million people are living with a diagnosis of diabetes worldwide, with this number expected to increase to 1.3 billion by 2050¹. Many people will be self-injecting at home to manage their condition, however there is a lack of understanding around safe sharps disposal globally.

In a 2021 study, it was found that the majority of countries worldwide disposed of their diabetes pens and needles directly into the household waste stream:

·      In Africa, 89% of people disposed of needles directly into their household bin, and 6% of them flushed them down the toilet.

·      In the Middle East, despite 92% of respondents being aware of the dangers of needlestick injuries, 79% of them still threw needles and lancets into their normal waste bag.

·      27% of participants in the United Kingdom disclosed that they disposed of their needles in their normal household containers.²

The positive effect of proper guidance and instruction was shown in the survey in the USA. The majority of respondents disposed of their sharps correctly (59%) and the odds of correct disposal increased by four if they have received accurate instructions.²

Let’s discuss why the incorrect disposal of injectable diabetes medicine is a cause for concern…

Incorrect Sharps Disposal is A Public Health Concern

Improper sharps disposal, particularly in the community setting, is a public health concern and can cause serious life-threatening injuries. The effects of needlestick injuries are widely known, with transmission risks associated with bloodborne viruses such as Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, and HIV.³ These are threatening enough in a healthcare facility, and the potential exposure of these viruses out into the community and general environment could be even worse.

Household bins and containers can come in all shapes and sizes, they can be small, plastic bins that could easily break, they could be just a plastic bag, or they could be more robust. None of these objects are specifically designed to hold needles or sharp objects, nor have they been tested as puncture resistant. This exposes anyone who comes into contact to a potential needlestick injury, and possibly an associated infection.

For example, disposing of a sharp into a household waste bin could expose the following people:

·      Household members

·      Neighbours/Community who may utilise the same bins

·      Waste Disposal Services collecting the used bins

·      Landfill operatives disposing of the waste

·      Wildlife or animals who may go near the waste bin

·      Potentially the community or environment around the household waste landfill site

Sharps disposal containers are specifically designed to contain sharps safely, and protect users from harm. Especially through the international ISO 23907-1:2019 certification which outlines key standards a container needs to adhere too to be safe, including puncture resistant, drop resistant, and seal tightness.

The correct disposal for insulin pens

Many people with diabetes self-inject insulin at home, or out on the go and this can sometimes be four or more times a day.⁴ It’s important to follow the correct disposal for sharps containers to protect both the user and anyone around them.

·      Insulin pens or needles should be disposed of in a yellow sharps container. When first beginning insulin treatment, the healthcare provider should supply patients with a sharps container. These will usually be a pocket or small sized container which can easily be stored at home, or in some cases in a bag for travel. 

The above information is correct for the United Kingdom, but individual waste streams may apply across different countries. Please confirm with your local healthcare provider.

·      When injecting the medication, a sharps container should be nearby and disposed of immediately. Some insulin pens are disposable, and in this case, the full insulin pen can be disposed of in a sharps container such as our 1.8L which is specifically designed for insulin pens. In other instances, the insulin pen is reusable and it is just the needle to be disposed of in the bin. Please confirm with your healthcare provider.

·      Once the sharps bin reaches the fill line, the container should be placed in final closure and a new container used. In many countries, you can return full sharps bin to pharmacies or local collection points for them to correctly dispose of. Do not place the full sharps bin into household waste.

How do I dispose of my container?

It is crucial that sharps containers do not end up in domestic waste disposal. For example, a lot of domestic waste is compacted during collection which will cause damage to the sharps container. Although the containers are designed to withstand pressure from the contents within the container, and will remain intact when dropped from a normal height, they are not designed to withstand compacting. In disposing of your container in domestic waste you are risking exposing waste handlers to the dangers of needlestick injuries. 

We recommend when collecting your empty container from a pharmacy or GP you ask about the disposal process. Pharmacies and GP practices have a duty of care to ensure the containers are disposed of safely and may have a takeback service scheme. However, should this not be the case you can arrange clinical waste collections through your council. This can be found on the Government website Request clinical waste collection - GOV.UK . 

Disposing of used sharps can be simple

Disposing of used insulin pens and needles can be simple, just remember: Always Use a Sharps Bin. With the amount of people diagnosed with diabetes expected to rise, strong education on the correct methods of disposal is vital to protecting public health and the environment.

We’re committed to reducing needlestick injuries and supporting all injection users to safely dispose of sharps. There a number of resources available to download today about preventing needlestick injuries, and the UK-specific waste streams.

References:

1. Diabetes UK (2024) How Many People in the UK Have diabetes?, Diabetes UK. Available at: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-us/about-the-charity/our-strategy/statistics.

2. Thompson, B.M. and Cook, C.B. (2021) ‘Unsafe Sharps Disposal Among Insulin-Using Patients With Diabetes Mellitus: An Emerging Global Crisis’, Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, p. 193229682110598. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/19322968211059851.

3. Better Health Channel (2019) Needlestick injury, Vic.gov.au. Available at: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/needlestick-injury.

4.Injecting insulin and children (2017) Diabetes UK. Available at: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/living-with-diabetes/life-with-diabetes/children-and-diabetes/insulin-and-your-child.