Do let us know how it turns out. It seems like you have really found a niche that needs filling, ASAP!
Have you thought about checking out eBay for the sharps equipment? I have seen weirder things sold out there, hahaha!
Patrick-
This is great. If you could accept sharps, pumps, meters and some of the other stuff through the mail, I would gladly pay to mail it. Here in Washington we are supposed to take sharps to a recyling center. I figure it costs me about $10 a trip to go. And then to top it off you have to use a sharps container.
A thought for sharps is to talk to manufacturer or distributor of the sharps container, and add shipping into the price of the container. That way insurance(in my case) would pay for the shipment. Even better, the box it comes in could be set up to ship to you. It could be labeled, postage stamped etc… With the right labeling you or the companies would only pay for those items mailed and not those that were taken to another facility. If they add shipping to every container they are making a profit.
I know, I know more cost for those on self pay. But if you already are using a sharps container and have to take it somewhere, it is costing you more in gas. Cost to ship a box like that slow mail is only a few dollars. I can’t go very far in city driving for $3 even the most economical car can only go about 10 miles. You have to add in maintenance etc…
I think this is a great business idea. I hope it works on paper, and in reality.
Thanks Mark, I like your thinking - it needs to be so easy & convenient that someone would be crazy not to do it… even better if the service is covered by a drug plan too.
Thanks for your thoughts!
That’s a great idea Suzanne… you’re right about eBay, I heard someone bought a diesel WWII submarine there…
Could the pump\meter companies be approached in the same way. I keep the box and all info that comes with my pump\meter until I switch pump or meter. At which point a mailer bag in the box could be used, or a mailer in the new box. I have no idea how much it would take from the companies to make it profitable for you, but if they would be willing to even treat you as a go between. You do something value added like if the pump is in a repairable condition you forward it to them, if not you get it. Just another thought.
I agree that it has to be easy and well explained.
I think one of them should be receptive. I tried Medtronic first because I’m a customer and they told me that they handle all recycling internally but I’ve never seen anything about recycling mentioned anywhere. They gave me some BS about FDA regulations when it comes to recycling medical equipment - maybe there’s something to it but if there are rules in place they (government) seem to be doing a pretty poor job of keeping medical e-waste out of landfills.
I agree that providing a value-added service is where it’s at. Medtronic or whoever really aren’t in the business of waste management but more and more consumers are demanding that the companies who supply stuff to them have a way to take it back. I think the mailer bag is a great idea…
I’m offering to do the grunt work for free because I know that there is some scrap value contained in the unusable meters and more importantly I think there are many people who could use the old working ones who can’t afford them - especially in those parts of the world where ethnicity and poverty seem to create more cases of diabetes. I read somewhere that Asians, Phillipinos, Africans and Native Americans have a higher incidence of the disease and I believe there is a higher poverty rate in those countries.
If there is a reg I bet it has something to do with possible contaminates(sp?). Meters would be more prone to this. Being new to Medtronic, as part of the Deltec switch, I am suppose to mail in my old Deltec. I still have not seen a mailer or instruction as to where to mail it. They don’t seem to be on top of things recylcing wise.
Which reminds me I need to send them a weekly reminder to get me that info.
Patrick , I read you are from B.,ON , Canada …the Canadian Diabetes Association is involved with recycling toners, printer cartridges, cell phones and cars besides clothing as their fund raiser . They may be able to direct you …on their website at www.diabetes.ca you will find some contacts or else call them at 1-800-BANTING …let me know,if this works .
I think you’re probably right about the contaminants / human blood, etc Mark but I’ve planned for this with the use of sterilizing chemicals. If not possible to reuse a device, recycling is definitely feasible even through the use of direct smelting. Although it’s a dirty process, not much survives molten metal.
Sounds like the demand for you to mail in your old unit is a bit of an afterthought on their part… either there is some real value in an old pump or they’re just trying to clear the market of their competitors products.
Thanks Nel, I’ll contact them tomorrow, sounds like a good idea!!
I am a MM pumper and whenerver I upgraded I was informed to send my pump to MM …I think they are able to refurbish them .
I have no doubt that they refurbish their own but it doesn’t make sense to me that they would refurbish a competitors product. Mark was saying that they wanted him to send his Deltec pump to MM.
I was told that they (MM) offer refurbished Medtronic units through medicare in the states to people with lower incomes but I can’t see them doing the same with one of their competitors units, just wouldn’t make much sense.
I think they are just trying to make sure you don’t go back to the other company. Otherwise I could have their pump and not be ordering their supplies. And we all know that is where the profit is. Like Henry Ford, Give them the car for free and get rich selling parts. Even though the pump isn’t free, supplies are where it is at.
But how about integrated stuff like infusion sets…one can use a pump from one company , if you have a luerlock system and infusion sets purchased elsewhere .In Mark’s case , maybe a matter of smart marketing by MM ???
Good point Nel, I agree it’s probably a case of good marketing.
Arg… frustration… just called LifeScan Canada (part of Johnson & Johnson) and was informed that they do not recycle or intend to recycle glucometers because of contact with human blood.
There are chemical sterilization techniques available to ensure that these devices are disinfected but the “ick” factor makes it difficult to make traction in that direction.
I’m changing focus to zoom in on recycling for resource recovery which involves high temperature treatment in burn-off ovens - at temperatures exceeding 700 degrees F there’s nothing left but the metals… I wish that companies who promote “green” ideas were actually living up to their philosophies!
Contacted the Canadian Diabetes Association this week about starting something to recycle glucometers that would also raise funds for them as a national program. We’ll see how it goes…
I have been informed by Lifescan & Metronic that both companies do not recycle their old stuff which really disappoints me.
I’m looking for new ideas so if anyone has some please visit www.MedeWaste.com and send me your suggestions, I’d really appreciate it!
Is this a coincidence? Omnipod / Insulet have begun to offer a recycling program to their patients only days after this forum topic was started. Not so much as a courtesy email from them…
Goes to show how the rich get richer while the little guys get left out.
Green is only good if it makes green in the bank account.