Recycle NB approves stewardship plan for pharmaceutical products and medical sharps
FREDERICTON, NB, August 24, 2023 – Recycle NB has approved a stewardship plan for pharmaceutical products and medical sharps, effective on July 13, 2023.
The stewardship plan was submitted by the Health Products Stewardship Association (HPSA), the Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) that represents brand owners who manufacture, distribute and sell pharmaceutical products and medical sharps in New Brunswick. It contains a strategy for managing the collection and processing of these materials at the waste stage.
“Recycle NB looks forward to a collaborative and cooperative partnership with the HPSA as they assume responsibility for managing pharmaceutical product and medical sharp waste,” said Frank LeBlanc, CEO of Recycle NB. “A comprehensive provincial program will help ensure these potentially harmful products do not end up in our landfills or contaminate our ecosystems.”
“Having a proper method of disposing household pharmaceutical products and medical sharps is not only important to the health and safety of New Brunswickers but also the environment,” said Environment and Climate Change Minister Gary Crossman. “This stewardship program will allow everyone to safely return their unused or expired pharmaceutical products and medical sharps, regardless of where they live.”
HPSA is a federally incorporated, not-for-profit PRO formed over 20 years ago in response to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations pertaining to pharmaceuticals and sharps. HPSA currently operates seven programs in four provinces – British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Prince Edward Island. It is expecting to launch the program in New Brunswick in January 2024.
“The safe disposal of sharps and medications is critical to help fulfill governments’ goals for environmental stewardship and public safety,” says Terri Drover, Director-General of HPSA. “HPSA provides a consistent framework that can be rolled out across provinces as regulations are put in place, at no cost to consumers, government or participating pharmacies.”
“We are looking forward to implementing Medications Return and Sharps Collection Programs in New Brunswick and seeing an improvement in consumer accessibility to safe, unwanted medication and used medical sharps disposal. Pharmacies are the linchpin of the process, working with HPSA to educate consumers on proper disposal practices. In all provinces where HPSA programs are available, pharmacies’ participation rates are high. We are looking forward to working with New Brunswick Pharmacists Association and community pharmacies to ensure easy access to the program for members of the public,” says Alain Renard, Director, Stewardship Programs at HPSA.
The pharmaceutical products and medical sharps program is the fifth EPR program to be added to the Designated Materials Regulation in New Brunswick. EPR is an environmental policy approach in which the producer is responsible for managing its product from manufacturing through to end-of-life. Other EPR programs include paint, oil/glycol and electronics. An EPR program for packaging and paper products is scheduled to launch in November, and an EPR program for beverage containers is under development.
Recycle NB is an arm’s length government agency whose role is to ensure that materials designated by the Minister of the Environment and Local Government are managed in a manner that assures a healthier environment.