Sharps 101: Understanding Sharps Waste and Proper Needle Disposal

By law, sharps are banned from the trash. Never put medical sharps, such as pen, intravenous or hypodermic needles, syringes and lancets in the trash or recycling container.

Why Glass Goes Into the Sharps Container All glassware, broken or not, must be placed in an approved sharps container before being placed in the biohazard container. The reason why is glass, broken or otherwise, may puncture red bags or other medical waste liners, and even the outer corrugated medical waste container.

• Hypodermic needles.
• Syringes, such as insulin syringes for diabetic patients.
• Scalpels.
• Lancets.
• Wires, including dental wires.

Although they are technically not “sharps,” disposable pipettes, tips, and other pointed disposable objects can perforate the plastic liner of a waste can and pose an unknown threat to personnel, especially if they are contaminated with laboratory chemicals or other materials.

The FDA recommends a two-step process for properly disposing of used needles and other sharps.

1. Step 1: Place all needles and other sharps in a sharps disposal container immediately after they have been used.
2. Step 2: Dispose of used sharps disposal containers according to your community guidelines.

All sharps should be disposed of in rigid puncture-resistant containers such as liquid detergent bottles, bleachbottles, or sharps containers.  Perform your routine blood tests and injections and placethe used sharps into the containers. 10.  Containers should be three-quarters full.

Needle/sharps container. Disposal mailing box approved by the US Postal Service. CVS Health Needle Collection & Disposal System allows you to safely contain and store syringes, pen needles and needles. To take advantage of pick-up and disposal, visit completeneedle.com or call 888-988-8859.

“Patients who self-inject medications at home often ask our pharmacists how and where they can dispose of their needles safely,” said Suzanne Hansen, Walgreens group vice president of pharmacy operations. “This system offers customers safe and easy needle disposal, as well as an option for the eco-conscious.

Most pharmacies (and stores like Walmart that have pharmacies inside of them) have containers that you can use to dispose of used needles called “sharps containers”. When full, you can go back to the drug store and exchange them for a new container.

A sharps bin is a specially designed box with a lid that you can get on prescription (FP10 prescription form) from a GP or pharmacist. When full, the box may be collected for disposal by your local council.

California residents must take sealed containers of used sharps to a drop-off site or arrange a mail-back service. Please check this page for disposal drop-off programs in your area. If there is no program near you, contact your local health department or solid waste department.

Find a Drop-off Location Your doctor’s office or hospital may collect only their patients’ sharps (but check first) Other sites include pharmacies and “household hazardous waste (HHW) facilities” listed here: CalRecycle’s disposal facility list* Earth911.com. California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

Getting Rid of Used Needles, Syringes, and Lancets

1. Use a sharps box if one is available.
2. Remember never to re-cap your syringes before you dispose of them.
3. If you do not have a regular sharps box, use a hard (puncture-proof) non-clear container for disposing used clipped or un-clipped syringes and lancets.

Unused or expired injectable products, such as those used to take insulin for diabetic patients, can be safely disposed of using a sharps disposal container. If you need assistance obtaining such a container, contacting the pharmacy that dispensed the injectable medicine is a good place to start.

Once the needle is removed, pen devices can be safely disposed of in household trash. These devices should not be recycled. Vials and Cartridges: Empty insulin vials and cartridges can be disposed of in household trash. Do not recycle these items.

As a diabetes educator, I find it amazing that patient’s may dispose of the needles, syringes, and lancets in the household trash or into the sewage system. Typically needles, syringes, and lancets are placed in soda bottles, coffee cans, and detergent bottles and then disposed of in household trash.

People don’t typically dispose of cleaning products – they use them up. Empty packages can then be recycled or discarded with other household waste. Unused amounts of cleaning products can generally be safely disposed of down the drain or in the trash.

Avoid pouring Roundup down the drain, sink, or toilet. Pesticides can get into waterways and harm fish, plants, and humans. Never pour Roundup down any drain or sewer.

To date, the company has not taken action to remove these potentially dangerous products from the market. Therefore, FDA recommends consumers stop using these hand sanitizers and dispose of them immediately in appropriate hazardous waste containers. Do not flush or pour these products down the drain.

Getting rid of that shampoo you didn’t love? You might be wondering, “Is it OK to pour old beauty products down the drain?” The short answer is no. If you’ve accidentally dumped products down the drain and found yourself with a clog, contact Plumbing Medic!

16 Ingenious Uses for Shampoo That Will Shock You

1. Stop mirrors from fogging up. Rub a small amount of shampoo on a paper towel and rub into the mirror.
2. Clean linoleum or ceramic tile floors.
3. Make a bubble solution for the kids.
4. Prevent a swimming mask from fogging up.
5. Clean makeup brushes.
6. Spot treat carpet and upholstery stains.
7. Wash your car.
8. Clean dishes.

You can wash your dishes by hand with shampoo, but you would have a hell of a mess on your hands if you used shampoo in your dish washer. Why don’t you just fill up the sink with a bit of hot water and let the dishes soak a bit until you can get some dish soap or something.

Above all, you should never pour out perfume down the drain as this risks contaminating the waterways; instead, contact your local household hazardous waste facility for proper disposal.

11 Things That Are Too Unsafe to Dump Down the Sink, but We’re Constantly Doing It

• Products claiming to be flushable like wipes or cat litter. © Depositphotos.com, © Depositphotos.com.
• Every type of oil, fat, and grease.
• Cleaning products.
• Paint.
• Coffee grounds.
• Any type of medicine.
• Car oil.
• Produce stickers.

Absolutely! Perfume has a very strong odor and is meant to be used in extremely small doses. If you pour a bunch of it into your trash, the trash will smell overwhelmingly of perfume until you take it out. If you’re okay with that, it’s fine to throw perfume in the trash.

Ammonia is a commonly used cleaning product. Although it’s a strong chemical, it’s not considered a household hazardous waste. That means you can dispose of it in the sink, as long as you flush it with plenty of water. If you have a lot of ammonia or a septic system, you can neutralize the ammonia and throw it away.