Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Injecting medication? How do you dispose of your sharps bins?
Hello all. I'm a diabetic who injects insulin and I have a sharps bin at home to collect my used sharps. It seems from my enquiries that the only way to dispose of my bins is to use the collection service operated by Veolia on behalf of Haringey Council.
I'm loathed to carry on using their service as it's so unreliable and unpredictable. My first bin took several months to arrive, and the subsequent collection happened a week before it was booked to and I wasn't in. Veolia's advice if I'm not going to be in? Leave it in the front garden! A full sharps bin!
I would much prefer to drop my full bins somewhere myself, but it seems that in Haringey you can't take them to doctor's surgeries, chemists or hospitals, as you can elsewhere in the country. You can only use this rather chaotic service.
Does anyone else have problems disposing of their sharps? Any recommendations as to what else I can do?
Many thanks!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kyri on
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Hi there,
When I needed to inject to stop Deep Vain Thrombosis I used to have a yellow Bin for them and Heals chemist opposite Yasar Halim on green lanes used to accept them. This was about 3 years ago. It's worth a try they are really helpful and friendly there.
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Hello Leo
Did you know that your GP can prescribe you a Sharps Bin on your usual green prescription form? It's smaller than those provided by local authority clinical waste services but does the job just the same. However,not all pharmacies have a contract to take back a full one for clinical disposal. I rang a Green Lanes pharmacy to enquire and they told me that they issue but don't take back the full one. They believe that there is a pharmacy on Turnpike Lane that does and also Sainsburys pharmacy at the Arena.
Hope this helps
M
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Permalink Reply by Leo JBR on
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Hi Mags.
Yes, I do get the smaller bins on prescription but I've been told that nowhere in the borough will accept them, and that I have to use the Veolia service through Haringey.
That's a great tip about the Sainsbury's pharmacy and I'll check that out tonight. Thanks!
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Permalink Reply by Alison Lightbourne on
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Hi there, both pharmacies and GP surgeries are able to dispose of them. It depends a little on how big the pharmacies are I think - the Boots in Crouch End once asked me to take my sharps bin to my GP surgery because theirs was full (top flu shot time), but both surgeries and pharmacies should be able to dispose of them properly. I get little ones from my GP to use, but at the moment am just putting them in a used large diet lemonade bottle - too many small vessels filling up too fast became really frustrating!
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Thanks Alison. I've been told at both my surgery and pharmacy that they don't accept bins any more and I need to use the council service, but I'll ask at the Crouch End Boots and the places mentioned above. Thanks!
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Oh no, really? What a pain! I've not taken one in for disposal for ages so hate to think. Hmm, I'm starting to think of sneaking mine into the hospital or GP surgery and dropping them into the big sharps bins when waiting for my hba1c bloods (or eye test, which I have tomorrow)!
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I've thought of that, but haven't had the opportunity to try! Let me know how you do!
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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If Veolia take these bins, perhaps they would accept them at the Recycling Depots, either Mary Neuner Road or Tottenham Hale ?
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Permalink Reply by Cat on
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I have type I diabetes and upon diagnosis my GP referred me to a sharps collection company called Anenta. There were a few teething problems, but now they collect my bin quarterly from my local chemist, where I drop it off the day before.
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UPDATE
Thank you for all of your responses.Having spoken a couple of surgeries and pharmacies (including Avenue in Turnpike Lane) in Haringey, it seems that Haringey policy changed a year ago, and now all needle users must use the Veolia-run council service, which as I've mentioned, is awful.
If anyone has any other tips or information, please post here. Thanks.
And yes, I'm formulating a complaint about the service to Haringey Council and will seek their reasoning for changing the service. It can't be cost-cutting - instead of picking up from a few businesses, they now have to pick up from every user individually. Seems crazy.
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