The federal government is sitting on a stockpile of 39 million extra rapid tests for COVID-19 and is struggling to get rid of them without chucking them in the trash, an internal Health Canada memo shows.

"Acknowledging the volumes of tests in play and the challenge of divesting such quantity over a time−bound period, it is expected that disposal of expired tests would be required," staff wrote to Health Canada’s deputy minister in a memo signed March 25.

The memo was obtained through federal access−to−information laws.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Canada has spent roughly $5 billion on rapid tests.

So far, no tests have been binned, though the department says 2.1 million tests are either damaged, expired or considered "non-compliant" and can't be distributed.

Another 38,722 are expected to perish in August and September. Most tests will expire in 2024.