I am lost in a pile of empty inhaler ... - Asthma Community ...

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I am lost in a pile of empty inhaler cannisters!!

16 Replies

Hi

Although i dont use that many inhalers, only symbicort 200 and ventolin i seem to have accumulated a lot of emptys!!

I am not particularly artistic otherwise i would make some outstanding artistic thing so i suppose i have two questions -

1. Would it make sense to ask for the symbicort 400 and have two puffs per day or stick to the 4 puffs per day of symbicort 200 and continue to add to the worlds landfill?

or

2. Any ideas for artistic creations or recycling rules or suggestions for the emptys?

Sorry but i do hate waste!!

Pinky

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16 Replies

Hi Pinky, I wondered this once, but it's better to add to the landfill and for your lungs to stick to 2 puffs of 200 rather than 1 400 dose

recycle

i tend to hand mine in at the chemist when i pick up the new ones. they should hopefully have some kind of use for sending them for re use x

refills

Is there a reason why the manufacturer gives us a new plastic part in each box. Why don't we just get metal cannister? I'm new to all the so please be gentle.

Must ask at our recycling centre. Our council is aiming for carbon footprint of nil this year.

AUK should approach someone like James May (he modelled a plastacine garden and a giant airfix plane, not to mention the meccano bridge) and ask them to make a scupture using only inhalers to illistrate asthma in some way for example the number of inhalers handed out each week, or the number of people who die as a direct result of asthma. It could be quite a publicity stunt. Just a thought...

Bex that is a great idea. wonder if he would do something like that?

Olive

I've got an idea - why don't we build some gigantic sculptures in the shape of inhalers out of the discarded inhalers? We could take them to 10 Downing Street to campaign for free prescriptions for England and Scotland?

hey! send them to Blue Petter xxxx

KateMoss profile image
KateMoss

With regarding only taking one dose of the 400 you will get the full dose of the steroid component but only half of the prescribed dose of the long acting bronchodilator bit . (unless the 400 has double the LAB bit??)

Check with your local plastics recycling, you may be able to recycle the lid cover bit ( a hard plastic) , the actual inhaler has numerous components in.

MDIs - I have asked this before of companies such as Glaxo. Unless you can super clean them, the file hole where the drug comes out the plastic bit will gradually get clogged and reduce the amount of drug delivered. Some councils will recycle hard plastic inhalers.

MDI casing - collect 22 of each colour and you have legs for a table top footie game! Just add in the ball from a deodorant container!!

Overall, please check with your local recycling dept as to the types of plastic, not neccesarily the shape ( eg drink bottle, fruit carrier) they will accept. I now pile all my empty neb casings into a plastic bottle (no lid on though) to be recycled.

Also , local asthma clubs at schools could use them for art & craft.

Woody, it is better for the lungs but not better for the landfill!!

Kate

With regarding only taking one dose of the 400 you will get the full dose of the steroid component but only half of the prescribed dose of the long acting bronchodilator bit . (unless the 400 has double the LAB bit??)""

Yes it does, Symbicort 400/12 has twice the dose of both components compared to 200/6.

re: Yes it does, Symbicort 400/12 has twice the dose of both components compared to 200/6.

but why do you wait 30 seconds between puffs - to give the first one a chance of working making the second puff hopefully more effective, my GP's explanation. maybe we need bigger inhalers, less packaging instead of the stupid mini types.

Hi

Wow some good serious information and some well lets say more creative and fun stuff.

I like the idea of creating a big sculpture to promote free prescriptions and taking it to 10 Downing Street, now that really would get some attention.

Its a bit far for me to travel and i think the max is 25kg on British Airways nowadays anyway and so wouldnt manage to bring the empties with me but a good idea nonetheless.

Maybe it will get some of you lot thinking who are neighbours to number 10.

Thanks folks

Pinky

Answers!

Check this out. The replies too. Loads of ideas. I'll expect great things, folks.

thriftyfun.com/tf87396518.t...

Edit: Forgot to put in the link. LOL

Am all inspired now to make the gigantic sculpture!

I love the idea of the sculpture and the table football lol

To be honest I'm not a keen recycler as loads of the stuff we wash and sort out and carry to the road gets thrown on the normal waste bin pile anyway!(been on the news a few times over the last 20 yrs)

But you can take all empty packaging back to a chemist and they'll recycle it.

Love Lydia ;-)

recycle

I put mine in the recycling bin hoping they will get recycled! Is there no way we can raise some cash by recycling cannisters for AUK? Seem to do this with everything else cans, cards, bottle tops etc.....

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