Kits and methods for disposing of pharmaceuticals and sharps

A pharmaceutical and/or sharps disposal kit comprising:

• a container comprising:
• a container housing surrounding a container volume,
• a container opening providing access to said container volume from outside said container housing, and
• a movable container housing closure member sized to extend over and cover said container opening;
• a mixture within said container, said mixture comprising:
• water occupying at least a portion of said container volume,
• a first monomeric component capable of polymerization when combined with an effective amount of a polymerization initiator, said first monomeric component comprising an acrylic monomer having the structure:
• (R1)(R2)C═C(R3)(R4)
• wherein:
• R1 is —COOH, —COOR5, —CONHOH, —CONHCH2OH, or —CONH2,
• R2 is —H, —CH3, CH3CH2—, or —CN,
• each of R3 and R4 is independently —H, —CH3, CH3CH2—, or a halogen, and
• R5 is a C1-12alkyl, a C1-12alkoxyalkyl, a C1-12hydroxyalkyl, an acrylamide, or an alkylene-bis-acrylamide,
• a red colorant, said red colorant enabling said mixture to undergo a color change when combined with said effective amount of said polymerization initiator,
• a reducing agent comprising a combination of benzotriazole and sodium nitrite, and
• a free radical scavenger;
• and
• an effective amount of a polymerization initiator so as to cause polymerization of the first monomeric component, the polymerization initiator comprising zinc formaldehyde sulfoxylate, ammonium persulfate, a peroxide, or a perborate;
• wherein addition of the polymerization initiator into the mixture causes the mixture within the container to undergo a color change from (i) a red color to (ii) a yellow color or a colorless opaque condition.

A pharmaceutical and/or sharps disposal kit comprising:

• a container comprising:
• a container housing surrounding a container volume,
• a container opening providing access to said container volume from outside said container housing, and
• a movable container housing closure member sized to extend over and cover said container opening;
• a mixture within said container, said mixture comprising:
• water occupying at least a portion of said container volume,
• a first monomeric component capable of polymerization when combined with an effective amount of a polymerization initiator, said first monomeric component comprising an acrylic monomer having the structure:
• (R1)(R2)C═C(R3)(R4)
• wherein:
• R1 is —COOH, —COOR5, —CONHOH, —CONHCH2OH, or —CONH2,
• R2 is —H, —CH3, CH3CH2—, or —CN,
• each of R3 and R4 is independently —H, —CH3, CH3CH2—, or a halogen, and
• R5 is a C1-12alkyl, a C1-12alkoxyalkyl, a C1-12hydroxyalkyl, an acrylamide, or an alkylene-bis-acrylamide,
• a red colorant, said red colorant enabling said mixture to undergo a color change when combined with said effective amount of said polymerization initiator,
• a reducing agent comprising a combination of benzotriazole and sodium nitrite,
• a free radical scavenger, and
• one or more syringes, one or more needles, or any combination thereof within the mixture within the container;
• and
• an effective amount of a polymerization initiator so as to cause polymerization of the first monomeric component, the polymerization initiator (a) comprising zinc formaldehyde sulfoxylate, ammonium persulfate, a peroxide, or a perborate, and (b) being packaged separately from said first monomeric component;
• wherein addition of the polymerization initiator into the mixture causes the mixture within the container to undergo a color change from (i) a red color to (ii) a yellow color or a colorless opaque condition.