Once used sharps have been placed in an FDA-cleared sharps container or a strong, plastic container, like a laundry detergent or bleach bottle, seal the container and then place it in your household trash if permitted by your state or community.
Below are a few other ways to dispose of sharps:
Sharps users may be able to take their filled sharp container to appropriate collections sites, which may include hospitals, health clinics, pharmacies, health departments, community organizations, police and fire stations, and medical waste facilities. Services may be free or have a nominal fee. States where these programs are readily available include California, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, and Wisconsin. You can see local regulations and disposal options here.
These collection sites are another way to safely and easily dispose of sharps. First, check with your local waste provider to find out if sharps are collected at their site. Then, place your used needles in an FDA-cleared sharps container, take the container to the designated waste collection site, and place them in the sharps collection bin(s). You can see your local regulations and disposal options here.
FDA-cleared filled sharps containers are placed in shipping containers, which are mailed (in accordance with the U.S. Postal Service regulations) to a collection site for proper disposal. This service usually requires a fee, and fees may vary depending on the size of the container. It’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions included with the disposal container, as these programs may have specific requirements for mail-back. Some drug companies also offer sharps mail-back programs. Please check here for contact information.
A variety of products are available that destroy used needles and make them safe for disposal. Ask your health care provider or pharmacist for information about “sharps needle destruction devices” or “needle melting devices” and where to purchase them in your area.
Safe Needle Disposal maintains a partnership with Medical Waste Pros, a US-based referral service for document shredding and commercially
generated sharps. If you are a business, institution, medical facility or other organization generating sharps waste, please provide the following
information on this email form (link to Referral Form). A Medical Waste Pros representative will contact you to advise on disposal services in your local area. Non-household generators can also can also contact Medical Waste Pros by phone at 617-206-2614. Their call center is open daily from 6am- 6pm MST. Please mention you heard about them on the Safe Needle Disposal website.