SHA wants to get rid of 559 pallets worth of expired hand sanitizer

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is looking to get rid of 559 pallets of expired hand sanitizer.

A public tender went out last month for people to recycle or dispose of the hand sanitizer. It was originally set to close Jan. 9, but was extended to Jan. 13.

The pallets are being stored at a warehouse on Park Street in Regina, according to the posting.

The expiration dates on the pallets vary, but some go as far back as April 2022.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) supplied the hand sanitizer as part of a large volume of medical supplies sent to provinces during the pandemic, including the beginning when sanitizer was hard to come by, according to a statement from the SHA.

While the SHA said it “very much appreciated the PHAC shipment,” it was able to source a “more effective” hand sanitizer for patients and public safety.

NDP leader Carla Beck said the province mismanaged its resources and could have made better use of the sanitizer before it expired.

“This is an ongoing need of course in our hospitals (and) in health care facilities,” Beck said.

“If they didn’t have the ability to use it in those facilities then I think there are lots of non-profits (and) community organizations that certainly have this ongoing need and could have used it.”

According to clinical microbiologist Joseph Blondeau, hand sanitizer expires when two of its components—alcohol and hydrogen peroxide—either evaporate or degrade over time. Regulatory agencies mandate an expiry date and storage instructions, he added.

“There is no easy way to tell if evaporation or degradation has occurred and as such hand sanitizer that has not been used for a long time nor has been properly stored should be discarded and, particularly, if it has passed its expiry date,” Blondeau said.

Blondeau said it makes sense to discard expired products when you cannot guarantee its effectiveness.

According to the Ministry of Environment, hand sanitizer is not typically included in the Saskatchewan household hazardous waste recycling program and does not meet the hazard criteria.

“Leftovers or expired material should be managed according to sound environmental protection practices to protect soil and water quality,” read a statement from the ministry.

However, very large amounts of hand sanitizer must be handled differently as landfills are not permitted to accept large quantities of liquids.

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All recycling and disposal of the hand sanitizer must be done in accordance with policies and regulations laid out by Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Environment.

The SHA estimates it will cost more than $100,000 to dispose of the “hazardous substance.”

According to the posting, the SHA wants all pallets picked up and removed by the end of the month.

The SHA did not say if it has received any bids for the public tender.