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Needles do not belong in the household trash. In the health care setting, medical professionals cannot dispose of used sharps in the trash – they must be disposed of in a designated sharps container. Very strict medical waste disposal laws help protect our healthcare professionals from dangerous needle stick injuries. These laws protect our healthcare workers inside a healthcare facility, but not our environmental and hospitality service workers, and not the adults and children in our own communities.
Financial sustainability is the greatest obstacle facing state and local governments in providing safe needle disposal program. Because household waste is not regulated by the Federal government, the EPA recommendations on safe needle disposal place the responsibility of developing alternative safe disposal solutions back in the hands of each state. Many states are interested in changing legislation to require safer disposal of used sharps. The question often asked is “who’s going to pay?”
Until this is sorted out, state and local communities often work with other intities to develop programs for residents in their communities.
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