I’ve just replaced the expired first aid kit supplies in several first aid kits - burn cream and antibiotic ointment are the things that needed to be replaced this cycle, and now I have a bunch of packages of expired burn cream and antibiotic ointment.
I know that even though these supplies are expired, they’re likely to be OK for a little bit, and slowly decrease in efficacy. It feels like a little bit of a waste to just throw them all out.
Is there any potential use these supplies could be put to? Maybe non-human use like in a veterinary hospital? Or is it better just to trash them?
Universal law of all “expiration dates” for all products:
The expiration date states or implies ONLY one thing: It is the latest date at which the retailer will guarantee the freshness of the product. Whether it remains 'fresh" enough for use for one minute, one day, one month, one year or one decade after that depends largely on the storage and handling conditions prior to (and after) sale.
I should mention there are 17 first aid kits I’ve removed the ointments & cream from. I don’t think I’ll hang on to them. I might take some home to add to my own first aid kits, but I can’t really do that with all 17.
I thought about this later. That burn cream needs to go in the bin and not replaced. The correct first aid for burns is water first, and then, if it is serious, clingfilm and hospital. Cream could well make things much worse. If it is painful, then paracetamol is the answer.
You could try a homeless shelter or battered women’s shelter. Other than that, maybe a Boy Scout Troop.
Also, like bob++ said, I didn’t think people still use burn cream. That reminds me of back in the day when grandma would put condiments on burns (what was it, butter or mayo or something).
I’ve wondered about this question. My son has a peanut allergy, and so we are likely to be looking at a pile of expired EpiPens as the years go by. I don’t really feel comfortable putting those out with a “Free” sign, though.
Until I figure out something better, I’ve just been squirting it into my coffee.
This is a really good point - I just refilled the first aid kits based on what was in it when I checked. But since the burn cream is useless, I’ll ditch it all.
