Medication waste is a growing ecological, economic, and public health challenge across Europe. Unused and expired household medications are widespread in all EU countries, accumulating in significant quantities due to factors such as overprescribing, non-adherence to medication, lack of public awareness, and inadequate disposal systems. Between 10% and 45% of household drug expenditures are ultimately wasted. Improper disposal – often through household trash or flushing – leads to contamination of water and soil, contributing to environmental degradation and antimicrobial resistance. Despite this scale, systems for proper collection and disposal remain underdeveloped, and public awareness is limited.

To respond to these challenges, the international symposium “Minimizing the Ecological and Economic Burden of Medication Waste in Europe” is being held in Brussels on 26 June 2025, organized by the Medical University of Lodz in collaboration with the NCBR Office in Brussels, under the auspices of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Meeting agenda is available here>>

Below, please find PDF versions of all meeting presentations:

• Opening and panel discussion slides
• ROGOWSKA Current Scenario in Medication Waste Legislation
• KARDAS Lessons Learned in the Pan-European Study on Medication Usage and Disposal
• BEKKER Combatting Medication Waste: From Prevention to Reuse of Unused Medication by Patients
• KROLL WHO-Led Initiatives to Minimize the Environmental Impact of Medication Waste
• ÁGH Economic Impact of Medication Non-Adherence and Medication Waste
• BELTRÁN JAUNSARÁS ENKORE – An Innovative Health Initiative Project Tackling Medication Waste and Advancing Circular Solutions for Medical Devices
• ANDRZEJCZYK & ŁOJEWSKA The University as a Catalyst for Ecological Transformation: From the GATEKEEPER Digital App to the EcoUMED Environmental Policy

 

The meeting was a great success, bringing together leading experts, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to address the pressing issue of medication waste in Europe.

Participants discussed the results of a groundbreaking EU-wide survey, exchanged best practices, and presented innovative strategies to reduce the ecological and economic impact of unused medicines, such as the reuse of collected, unused oncological drugs. The event fostered meaningful collaboration, inspired new policy directions, and concluded with the presentation of a policy brief that will help shape future EU initiatives in this area.

As a key outcome, participants signed the ‘Brussels Declaration’– a joint call to action for more sustainable pharmaceutical practices across Europe.

Learn more from the PRESS RELEASE>>