March 31, 2020
New One-Way Entry RUM bin to be rolled out to all pharmacies across Australia
A brand new bin for the return of unwanted and expired medicines will be rolling out to all community pharmacies nation-wide this month. The newly designed bin will improve consumer and pharmacist safety, with 
the addition of a more secure lid with a one-way entry point for medicines.
The new bin has been designed with increased security and privacy in mind – for consumers, pharmacists, and those transporting the bins. The secure one-way entry will mean that once unwanted or expired medicines have been placed into the new bin, they will not be able to be removed again.
This will ensure that medicine returned by the community gets securely delivered to the EPA approved incinerators, where they will be permanently and safely destroyed.
“This new bin helps ensure unwanted or expired medicines are kept secure until incineration, and are kept out of our homes, waterways, and soil”, says Toni Riley, Project Manager at the Return of Unwanted Medicines (the RUM Project).
Due to COVID-19 supply issues, the new bin will be manufactured using an Australian-made post-consumer recycled product, made from shampoo bottles and plastic lids. This recycled product means the new bins will be grey in colour, with a red lid seal. Each bin comes with assembly instructions.
The redesigned RUM bin will be rolling out to all wholesalers this month, and pharmacies will start to see them come in as the previous bin’s supplies are depleted by wholesalers.
The Return of Unwanted Medicines Project is a free service that offers a way to dispose of unwanted or expired medicines safely and conveniently at your local community pharmacy. Find out more about the service here.