The UK agriculture sector is leading the way in the safe and responsible use of medicines and continues to be praised globally for its efforts in reducing the use of antibiotics as well as its wider medicines stewardship work. Safe disposal of empty pharmaceutical waste, unused or out of date medicines is also a key part of the medicine stewardship journey and RUMA Agriculture has recently interviewed the owner of a business that delivers a best practice solution to help support farmers in the safe disposal of pharmaceutical waste and sharps.

Overview

Pharmbinz was founded in 2008 after a farmer approached the founder for help disposing of pharmaceutical waste – a service that was surprisingly difficult to find at the time. Six months of research and licensing later, Pharmbinz launched as a fully compliant, high-temperature incineration service dedicated to safe, traceable disposal of pharmaceutical waste.
Today, the company plays a crucial role in helping farms across the UK manage pharmaceutical waste disposal effectively and compliantly. The company works with pig, sheep, cattle farmers and smallholders.

There are also other companies that farmers can engage with to access such services. RUMA interviewed the owner of Pharmbinz, Andrew Maskery, to find out more about what is involved in safe pharmaceutical waste disposal which forms a key part of medicines stewardship.

The challenge

Andrew Maskery says: “Safe disposal of empty pharmaceutical containers as well as unused or out of date veterinary medicines and sharps, forms a key part of the medicine stewardship journey on farms. Legal and regulation penalties could result in fines if best practice disposal isn’t followed which could lead to the loss of certification and cause compliance issues with food safety standards and farm assurance failures – all of which farmers want to avoid at all costs. This is why it is important that farmers work with a trusted pharmaceutical waste disposal company that offers an effective and compliant pharmaceutical waste disposal service.”

The Pharmbinz solution

Pharmbinz offers a simple, farm-friendly system designed around compliance and biosecurity:

1. Delivery of approved bins and bags (sharps, 50-litre bins, 150-litre bags).
2. Fill the bin with the correct pharmaceutical waste.
3. Collection When the bin is full, Pharmbinz is contacted to arrange a convenient time to come and collect as well as arrange for a replacement unit to be delivered.
4. Disposal Once collected, Pharmbinz then disposes of the pharmaceutical waste responsibly, insuring all regulations are met.

Pharmbinz operates under strict environmental regulations and maintains up-to-date compliance through its regulator and waste-incineration partners. Andrew continues: “We have a deep understanding of farm biosecurity and daily agricultural challenges. We have lots of experience supplying livestock care products within our existing business.
“Different types of medicines require different disposal methods. All wormer and fly control products must be disposed of and treated in the same way as antibiotics, for example. We have full traceability through legal Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) requirements and correct disposal must be part of this.”

Regulation and compliance

Pharmbinz complies with all practises to ensure full transparency, from registration with the Environment Agency, to supply of licensed pharmbinz right through to ensuring incineration with a fully licensed company that is registered and regulated to dispose of the pharmaceutical waste through high temperature incineration. Andrew adds: “All the pharmaceutical waste we collect has different codes under the European Waste Code. We ensure full compliance by not only using a pharmaceutical waste company that is licensed for all the different types of coded waste, but also by fully detailing all the types of pharmaceutical waste collected on a farm’s transfer note. We stay up to date with environmental legislation and emerging risks in waste management via our regulator.”

Impact on farms

Pharmbinz provides farmers with peace of mind, ensuring they remain compliant and environmentally responsible, and works hard to provide clear guidance, education and an easy-to-use system to farmers. Pharmbinz has an easy to use website that makes the complete process from ordering bins to collections easy and straightforward.

Key advice to farmers – what does best practice look like?

Use a licensed, regulated waste carrier. Ensure bins are UN3291-approved. Keep signed transfer notes. Insist on full traceability to incineration.

Andrew encourages farms to follow his six point plan when using a pharmaceutical waste carrier.

1. Do they have a waste carrier license?
2. Are the bins & bags provided approved? Label should have UN3291 on it.
3. Carriers must provide a waste transfer note, including EWC codes, signed & it must comply with farm assurance.
4. Know the details of the company who is incinerating the waste taken away, including their certification & licenses.
5. There must be a duty of care when collection is made from farm. Biosecurity must be adhered to.
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