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Be Earth-Friendly with Diabetes & Medical Supplies

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By Lu Ann Beavers-Willis, MSN, RN, CDE

April 22, 2015

April 22nd is Earth Day which is intended to focus on how we influence our limited resources from the planet. It is estimated that the average American throws out 4.5 pounds of trash every day. Those individuals living with diabetes probably have considerably more waste with the plastic glucometer strips, pill bottle, boxes that insulin arrives in, syringes and lancets. All of these supplies are intended for one time use and must be disposed of in the trash or sharps container.

These numerous supplies add up to a lot of trash. It is important to keep your diabetes –friendly routine environmentally friendly. Here are some Earth Day tips to keep your diabetes management green.

  • Properly dispose of medical waste. Put your sharps into a bio-hazard container or empty liquid laundry detergent bottle. When the container is full, tightly secure the lid and reinforce with duct tape. Check with your local waste management company to find out policies on putting this waste out for pickup. Some community pharmacies have a sharps disposal center where you can drop off this waste.
  • Dispose your used test strips in the trash or in a bio-hazard container.
  • Re-use pill bottles after rinsing them out and peeling off the labels. The bottles can be used to store craft supplies, gardening seeds, nuts, and bolts.
  • Old glucose meters. If you have a stash of them, contact your local diabetes educator (Lu Ann Beavers-Willis (740)-922-7450 extension 2177) or you health department to find out the proper procedure for disposal of the various types of meters.
  • Unused and unexpired insulin, that you do not know what to do with or no longer take, can be donated to the Clinic for the Working Uninsured in Tuscarawas County. The clinic contact phone is (330)364-1853. They also accept unopened insulin syringes and glucometer strips that are not expired.
  • Recycle all of the paper pamphlets , inserts, and boxes that your medication comes in.

A little goes a long way when it comes to being environmentally friendly and living green with diabetes. Celebrate Earth Day with these simple tips, and you can make a difference in the environment.

Lu Ann Beavers-Willis MSN, RN, Certified Diabetes Educator, leads individual and group diabetes education sessions. She is also available to speak at community groups or arrange diabetes risk screening in the community.  Click here to learn more about our diabetes wellness services.

 

 

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