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Safe Opt

Traveling with Needles Don't forget, safe needle disposal is important no matter where you are—at home, at work, or on the road. Never place used needles in the trash in hotel rooms, on airplanes, or in public restrooms, where they could injure the cleaning staff or other people. 

Sharps and Air Travel 

Before you fly, check the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Web site (www.tsa.gov) for up-to-date rules on what to do with your needles when you travel. To make your trip through airport security easier, make sure your medicines are labeled with the type of medicine and the manufacturer's name or a drug store label, and bring a letter from your doctor. 

Be prepared—ask about options for safe needle disposal when you make travel reservations, board an airplane, or check into a hotel or cruise ship. If you aren't sure that needle containers will be available where you're going, be sure to buy a needle container that you can take with you to hold your used needles until you can throw them away the right way. 

Why are used needles danger

Used needles and lancets are dangerous because they can:
♦ Injure people ♦ Spread germs ♦ Spread diseases such as HIV/A

hepatitis, tetanus, and syphillis 

All needles should be treated as if disease. That means that if someonwith a needle, they have to get expical tests and worry about whether a harmful or deadly disease. Be suyour used needles the safe way to people to harm. 

United States
Environmental Protection Agency
5305W
Washington, DC 20460
EPA530-F-06-014
June 2006
www.epa.gov/osw


2 Recycled/Recyclable—Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% 

Postconsumer, Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper 
Recommended Needle Disposal Options 

Community Services 

“Household Residential 

Drop-off Syringe Exchange Hazardous Waste” “Special W

aste” M

Collection Sites Programs Centers Pickup Service 

Some communities offer Many communities have a dis­ Some communities offer a These programs let you trade 

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collection sites that accept used posal site already set up that “special waste” pickup service your used needles for new cneedles—often for free. These accepts “household hazardous that collects your full container ones. The group that runs the acollection sites may be at local waste” items like used oil, bat­ of used needles from your service will dispose of your 

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hospitals, doctors’ offices, teries, and paint. In some house. Some services require used needles safely. whealth clinics, pharmacies, places, these centers also you to call for a pickup, while mhealth departments, community accept used needles. If your others collect used needles on is organizations, police and fire area has a hazardous household a regular schedule. 

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departments, and medical waste waste center, be sure it accepts afacilities. Don’t just leave your used needles before you go, oneedles at one of these places and put needles in the right y—make sure the site accepts place when you drop them off. them, and be sure to put needles in the right place. 

How Can I Find More Information? 

♦ Call your trash or public health department, listed in the city or county government (blue) pages in Contact the North American F

your phone book, to find out about programs available in your area. Syringe Exchange Program at c

(253) 272-4857 or visit the C

♦ Check the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Web site at <www.cdc.gov/needledisposal> for a list 

Web site at <www.nasen.org>. N

of needle disposal rules in your state, along with needle disposal programs near you. (8

♦ Ask your health care provider or local pharmacist if they can dispose of your used needles, or if th

they know of safe disposal programs near you. 

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♦ Contact the Coalition for Safe Community Needle Disposal at (800) 643-1643 or visit the Web site W

at <www.safeneedledisposal.org> to find out about safe disposal programs near you. s

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♦ Visit the Earth 911 Web site at <www.earth911.org>. You can go to the “Household Hazardous Waste” b

section of the site and search for a needle disposal program near you by entering your ZIP code. 

♦

To learn more about rules regarding medical waste disposal, consult EP

A’s Medical Waste Web site at 

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/other/medical>. 

The mention of any company, product, or process in this publication does not constitute or imply endorsement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.