Silicone breast forms

How and Where to Recycle Old Silicone Forms

Any Unused, Expired, or Old Silicone Forms Don’t Need to Go to Waste

Are you curious about how and where to recycle old silicone forms? Maybe a loved one who used them has now passed away. Perhaps you’ve changed sizes, the warranty has passed on your current prosthetic, or reconstruction has occurred. At Second To Nature, we recycle old silicone forms. You can also directly donate them to organizations like Dianne’s Mastectomy. Additionally, you can recycle old silicone forms into silicone oil. Industrial lubricants and playground mulch among other products include silicone oil.

Bring Old Silicone Forms to Second To Nature for Recycling

At Second To Nature, we’re in the business of empowering women to feel their best after breast surgery. We do that by offering After Breast Cancer (ABC) Custom Breast Prosthetics. In addition to customizing breast prosthetics, we also recycle old silicone forms and send them to organizations like Dianne’s Mastectomy.

Donate Old Silicone Forms Via Dianne’s Mastectomy and Other Groups

Dianne’s Mastectomy also provides breast prosthetics to cancer patients, like Second To Nature does. While we offer our services in the U.S., they specialize in providing post-mastectomy products in Canada. According to their website, their donated prosthetics program started when they realized “the need for post-mastectomy items in developing countries.”

Helping the Plight of Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer in Developing Nations

In African villages, and other developing nations, the quality of the Western-made prosthetics we take for granted isn’t fathomable. Lack of access to reliable healthcare, private insurance, and government assistance only compounds this issue. Women in these countries with a breast cancer diagnosis often have to travel to a larger city for surgery. Afterwards, they return home without post-mastectomy care or products. Dianne’s Mastectomy seeks to resolve this problem.

When You Donate Old Silicone Forms, You Help Women in Need Around the World

Since 2001, Dianne’s Mastectomy has taken donated old silicone forms and recycled them for women who wouldn’t otherwise receive them. African countries that benefited from their donation program include Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Nairobi, Nigeria, and Ghana. Dianne’s Mastectomy has also donated old silicone forms to women in Costa Rica, Trinidad, Tobago, Jamaica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Mexico. If you have more questions about the organization or donations, contact Dianne’s Mastectomy at [email protected].

In Addition to Dianne’s Mastectomy, You Can Donate to Other Groups

Last month, we shared various breast cancer awareness charitable causes you might consider supporting. Showing support to groups like Beyond October and Bay Area Cancer Connection doesn’t always mean financially or via activity. Sometimes charitable causes also accept donated old silicone forms.

Bay Area Cancer Connection

The Bay Area Cancer Connection started in October of 1993. They accept donated gently used post-mastectomy products for patients facing breast cancer, as well as ovarian cancer. Donated items could include scarves, wigs, soft hats, books, and breast prosthetics, among other products. To find out if your old silicone form is okay to donate, you can call their helpline at (650) 326-6686.

Beyond October

Beyond October accepts gently-used prosthetics to refurbish and redistribute them to U.S. and Liberian breast cancer survivors free of charge. Their mission is helping women with little or no insurance get the supplies they need during recovery. On their website, they say, “a little prosthetic goes a long way to help a woman look and feel great!” For information about Beyond October’s old silicone form donation program send an email to [email protected].

Other Organizations That Accept Donated Old Silicone Forms Include:

Old Silicone Forms Are Recycled Into Silicone Oil for Mulch, Lubricant

If you can’t donate your old silicone forms to Dianne’s Mastectomy or other organizations, you can always recycle them. The medical industry as well as transportation, construction, culinary companies, and more use silicone quite often. Many breast forms manufactured in the U.S. usually include cross-linked silicone gels. When something made from this polymer becomes no longer usable, it can be recycled into substances like silicone oil.

Silicone Oil 101

Usually, recycled silicone gets melted down into silicone oil, often used for industrial lubricant, playground mulch, and more. In order to accomplish this safely, old silicone forms need to be sent to a specialized recycling company. After these companies collect the recycled silicone, machines grind it into small pieces. The silicone melts down in high temperature heating and goes through fine filtration. Eventually, it goes through polymerization and ultimately becomes silicone oil.

Pros and Cons of Recycled Silicone

One benefit of recycled silicone is silicone doesn’t lose much of its structural integrity when recycled. However, to recycle silicone is actually “down-cycling,” because it slowly degrades with each successive use. We recommend contacting your local recycling center to find out if they recycle old silicone forms. If they don’t, they might know of a place that does recycle old silicone forms locally or nearby.

 

Call Second To Nature at (540) 366-2711 for information about our services. We specialize in custom breast prosthesis and mastectomy education. Follow us on Facebook for updates. We also offer a solution for how and where to recycle old silicone forms.