International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

Consumers can bring old and expired medication to the local chemist. The following
expired or unused medication can be handed in:
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� unused tablets and capsules;
� remains of creams and ointments in tubes;
� syrups and liquid medication in their containers;
� remains of spray/aerosol medication; and
� x-ray photographic plates.
The following products are not accepted:
� empty glass bottles (glass collector);
� empty cardboard boxes and information leaflets (paper and cardboard waste);
� remains of toothpaste, shampoo, bath foam, soap, cosmetics and care
products (household garbage or small hazardous household waste);
� pesticides and insecticides (small hazardous waste);
� used hypodermic needles (collected in a rigid container for small hazardous
waste);
� blister plasters (household garbage); and
� band aids, bandages, cotton wool, gauzes, diapers, incontinence material, test
strips, diet- and baby food (household garbage).
The chemist collects the expired and unused medication in special cardboard boxes,
which are picked up by the wholesalers when delivering new medication. If the
collection of these boxes were to be free of charge, then they would not be completely
filled or they would contain products that are not subject to the MBO. If the charge on
the boxes was too high, then the boxes would tend to get overfilled, making them less
stackable at the wholesalers and leading to a potential safety risk. 283 Thus the
chemist pays the wholesaler €1 per box for collection, reflecting a balance between
high and low costs.
Unlike other waste streams with take-back obligation, where a large proportion of the
materials are recycled or recovered, the old and expired medication is incinerated. In
2007, 3 Belgian incineration plants were responsible for the disposal of this waste
medication: Siomab (Brussels), IBW (Virginal) and Ipalle (Thumaide). 283
The costs of collecting and transporting the old and expired medication to the
incineration plants are financed by the wholesalers; the costs for incineration are
financed by the pharmaceutical industry. 284
283 OVAM (2008) Oude en vervallen geneesmiddelen – Inzamelresultaten 2007 (Old and expired
medication – Collection data 2007), Dutch.
284 Draft MBO on old and expired medication, 2008.
International Review of Waste Policy: Annexes