So I moved to the UK 4 years ago and because I have diabetes, I was prescribed sharp bins for all the needles and stuff. They gave me a phone number I was supposed to call, but I was so anxious I didn’t call and these boxes started accumulating… Now I have like 7 of them (they’re like a small box of tide pods).
I am in a much better place mentally now, but I’m scared to call that number. Should I just call them and say I have 7? Or do I try to do it gradually? I have no idea if there are any repercussions for not getting them collected on time…
21 comments
There will be no repercussions at all. Call them, tell them you have 7. They won’t care. Honestly.
They will give you instructions about collecting/dropping off. Whether they have capacity to twke them all at once or not.
DO NOT WORRY. they deal with this all the time, they wont judge and honestly, 7 isn’t that much. They’ll just want them dealth with safely.
Will your local pharmacy not collect then?
Tbh it saves them man-power. Better to go once for seven than seven times for one.
Just ring them and say you have 7
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When my father died and we rang for them to collect his oxygen equipment my mother asked them if they’d take an old cylinder
They said of course, but couldn’t get over it when they saw it – it was my grandfather’s who died in the early 90s – said it should go into a museum and laughed (there main comment was ‘please don’t tell me you were still using it’)
My grandmother had moved after his death but taken it with her as she didn’t know what to do with it, when she died my aunt took it, when she died my mother ended up with it
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Geniunely they won’t care
Call your GP or local pharmacy, explain your situation, and ask them for advice. Most GPs are fully equipped for disposal of sharps. I would expect that pharmacies are similarly equipped.
Source: Used to run a small hotel, and some of our less illustrious guests would leave sharps behind. The local GP was how I acquired sharps boxes to collect and dispose of these.
Bless you. Please don’t worry, although I understand that’s easier said than done. You can contact your local council online/via email or give them a bell (Google should have the info). I don’t think it’s unusual at all that you have accumulated them, especially given recent events. Like someone else said, they won’t bat an eyelid 🙂
There is nothing illegal or morally wrong with have them.
I very much doubt the collection people know or care how you came about them. They were just told to collect hazardous waste and that’s what they are doing.
Some pharmacies have a license to accept sharps waste but not all of them do so it may be worth just checking around.
I used to work in a pharmacy and it’s not unusual for people to return lots of sharps bins as they can be difficult to get rid of!
Also looking on your local council website as most arrange for disposal/collection, but some charge. If you search for clinical waste it should point you in the right direction
Oh yeah don’t worry at all, just call up and say you have a bunch of sharps boxes that have accumulated over a long time, casual and shit haha, well done and good luck!
You could try the council’s waste disposal section. I know Birmingham council and Cannock chase council have sections where you can order pick up and drop off for sharps boxes. Yours might not but it’s worth a look.
Just call them. I got rid of 6 sharps boxes the other week and nobody bothered. If for any reason the phone number you have been given doesn’t work any more, try your local council phone number or website. The key phrase for my council is ‘clinical waste.’
Honestly mate, they won’t care! And in the very unlikely of chance that they ask why you haven’t been regularly disposing of them, either be honest like you have been with us, or simply say you’ve been swamped this past while and its completely escaped you!
you will be fine mate. All the best.
I hope you like jail; criminal scum!
They likely won’t care or even be note worthy for them
I have a number of bins from my gestational diabetes – I asked my local pharmacy for a new one and where I should get rid of the others. They actually take them. But there was no word said about why /how I had more than 1, it didn’t occur to me that it could be an issue.
I would call the number, failing that your gp, failing that a big branch pharmacy locally and ask for advice on how to dispose, they’ll either be able to help or will advise who to go to
In any case you are not going to be in trouble for finding the correct route to disposing of them, however many you have!
The guy whose job is to come and collect them couldn’t give a single shit. He’s just collecting stuff. It’s good that you’re more ready to move forwards
You could take them to a drug service needle exchange and they won’t want to know anything. Or some pharmacies do a needle exchange service. Lloyd’s are one of them.
They take sharps bins and clinical waste.
Omg the trash police are after you didn’t you see all the wanted posters up on lamposts in the street. Jk. Dude you’re all good. Glad you are looking after your diabetes well and taking care of yourself. You have nothing to be embarrassed about.
Honestly 7 is nothing. My dad had dementia and could stack up a few before I realised.
They don’t care.
The people who collect the sharps bins also collect biological waste from, for example, microbiology labs. I used to work in one – they’d happily take away nearly half a ton of agar covered in mould and bacteria, fluid media filled with clostrodium that absolutely stank, cytotoxic waste that can super kill you etc. They’d probably be grateful to have a stop to make that’s just 7 small sharps bins.
I had these when my partner had surgery and needed daily injections for a short period of time. I just took them into hospital the next time I went. No questions asked. When you are needing that kind of medication in your house, that’s your priority, medical workers know you are busy enough to think about getting rid of the bins in a timely manor. Just ask your local gp/clinic if they can take them.
Also because of covid, it’s likely a lot of people have let them build up at home before they’ve returned them.
My Dad has sharps bins for his diabetes, he’s wheelchair bound and my Mother has limited mobility – so often his sharps bins can pile up until they have an opportunity to drop them off at the Doctors/Chemists for disposal.
Sometimes I’ve seen my Mother go in with a carrier bag full, with about 4-5 bins in. Nobody cares.