How to Safely Dispose of Expired or Unused Medicines

A significant proportion of the Maltese population do not completely consume medication and of this unused medication, a survey carried out by WasteServ in 2015 showed that a mere 11% were being disposed of properly.

In October 2018, the Sort It Out campaign was launched, during which the medicinal waste disposal containers were distributed to pharmacies.

So what is medical waste and how should we dispose of it?

Medical waste refers to any medication that has passed its expiry date; and so can no longer be taken with assurance that the medicine is still of good quality, or that is no longer required by the patient. This type of waste must be diverted from landfills as it may otherwise be dangerous for persons handling the waste, as well as the environment.

By means of proper disposal, we prevent the poisoning of children and pets, misuse and keeps our environment safer.

How to dispose:

In all our pharmacies one can find a medicinal waste disposal bin. Here you can dispose of all loose or packaged tablets, bottled medicines and medicinal cream tubes. However, before doing so, please be sure to remove all outer packaging, measuring spoons and information leaflets – these go in the usual grey recycling bins.

Inhalers can also be discarded in the pharmacy bin, but the plastic casing must first be removed, and recycled separately.

As for cosmetics and empty blister packs, these must be placed in the mixed waste (black) bin, whilst empty glass medicine bottles may be disposed of with the biweekly glass collection service. 

Certain medicinal items, such as syringes, used needles and Epipens® must be treated differently, and with more caution. These are considered as biohazardous waste, and so must be discarded in a special ‘Sharps’ container, which is made of rigid plastic to prevent injuries to yourself, those around you and any professionals handling the waste, as well as the environment. Once your sharps bin is three quarters filled, this should be sealed with the special plastic cap, and taken to one of the civic amenity sites (seen below).

Source: https://www.wsm.com.mt/en/ca-sites (Accessed online: 27.09.2024)

Remember; unused medicines should not be washed down the sink or toilet, as this untreated waste would harm aquatic wildlife.