ACT COVID tests headed to landfill as expiry date looms

The ACT government fought to acquire around three million tests for distribution and use within clinical settings during the Australia-wide scramble, the thousands set to expire in coming weeks are classified as 'point-of-care', meaning they can't be given out for use at home.

The tests were designed for large-scale distribution and require user training, according to the Therapeutic Goods Administration. They do not come with instruction pamphlets like home-test kits and are therefore considered unsafe.

These are the only point-of-care rapid antigen tests within the ACT government stockpile and will be utilised where possible during February to minimise wastage, an ACT government spokesperson said.

The giant waste problem is not unique to the ACT either. The ABC reported recently that millions of rapid antigen tests were due to expire across every other state and territory soon.

Brent Carlisle, 180 Waste Group manager, said clinical waste was a massive problem both in Australia and globally, plastic accounting for about 70 per cent of what was thrown out.

180 Waste Group is a Canberra company that uses heat treatment equipment within clinical settings to cut healthcare waste to a fraction of its weight and volume.

Mr Carlisle said states and territories were not recycling rapid antigen tests because separating plastic from paper on such a large scale was too costly.

He said there were warehouses around Australia filled with out-of-date COVID by-products, including hand sanitiser and personal protective equipment.

Mr Carlisle said the COVID pandemic had been a major setback in terms of sustainable practices in health care settings, as everything became clinical waste.

He said Canberra Hospital had only recently begun talks with them about potentially engaging their services to divert clinical waste from landfill.

The federal government established an expert group to advise on Australia's transition to a circular economy by 2030 in November last year.

The group will look at how products are designed, manufactured and used across all sectors of the economy.

READ ALSO:

It will identify changes the government and industry can make to drive the transition to a circular economy.

Mr Carlisle said one of the ways they can do that is by making landfill a lot more expensive than what it is at the moment.

He said providing carbon credits for recycling companies was another solution.

"Then people will look at ways of recycling because now it becomes financially viable for them to do so," Mr Carlisle said.

We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.