ard disposal habits and increased community exposure 

to sharps. People at the greatest risk of being stuck by 

used sharps include sanitation and sewage treatment 

workers, janitors and housekeepers, and children. 

Due to the hazards that unsafe disposal practices present, many states and municipalities are choosing to 

offer safe, convenient disposal options to sharps users. 

What are the dangers of used sharps? 

Some sharps users throw their used needles in the 

trash or flush them down the toilet. Used sharps left 

loose among other waste can hurt sanitation workers 

Loose needles at a municipal solid waste location. 

◆ Allergies ◆ Arthrit

◆ Cancer ◆ Diabet

◆ Hepatitis ◆ HIV/A

◆ Infertility ◆ Migrain

◆ Multiple Sclerosis ◆ Osteop

◆ Psoriasis 

during collection rounds, at sorting and 

ties, and at landfills, or become lodged 

forcing workers to remove them by han

adults, and even pets are also at risk fo

injuries when sharps are disposed impr

or in public settings. 

People exposed to sharps face not only 

painful stick, but also the risk of contrac

ing disease such as HIV/AIDS or Hepati

needle-stick injuries are treated as if the 

infected with a disease. Victims of shar

injuries face the cost of post-injury test

vention measures, and counseling, eve

or disease was spread. Some diseases 

time to appear on test results, leading t

testing and apprehension. 

Needle-stick injuries are a preventable h

states and municipalities can take spec

protect their residents from this risk. 

1

grams often give self-injectors the option of continuing to use empty household containers to collect 

sharps, but prevent the sharps from entering the 

household waste stream. 

◆	 Household hazardous waste collection 

sites: Self-injectors can place their used sharps in 

a special sharps container or, in some cases, an 

approved household container, take them to municipal household hazardous waste collection sites, 

and place them in the sharps collection bins. These 

sites also commonly accept hazardous materials 

such as household cleaners, paints, and motor oil. 

◆	 Residential special waste pickup services: 

Self-injectors can place their used sharps in a special container, similar to a recycling container, and 

put it outside their home for collection by trained 

special waste handlers. Some programs require 

customers to call for pickup, while others offer 

regular pickup schedules. 

◆	 Mail-back programs: Used sharps are placed in 

special containers, which are mailed (in accordance 

with U.S. Postal Service requirements) to a collection site for proper disposal. Mail-back programs 

are available for individual use by sharps users, and 

can also serve as a disposal method for community 

collection sites. These programs work especially 

◆	 Syringe exchange programs: 

can exchange their used needles fo

Exchange programs are usually ope

munity organizations, which proper

the used needles collected at exch

◆	 Home needle destruction dev

of products are available that clip, m

needle and allow the sharps user to 

syringe or plunger in the garbage. T

can reduce or eliminate the danger 

ing the waste stream. 

A household hazardous waste disposal cente

San Bernardino, California. 

2

3 

If your state or municipality wishes to establish a syringe ex

gram, contact the North American Syringe Exchange Netwo

4857 or <www.nasen.org>. 

Government Resources 

The Internet is a valuable resource for researching the steps 

and municipalities have taken to inform their citizens and en

sharps disposal. 

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Web site, located at 

<www.cdc.gov/needledisposal>, provides state-by-state info

sharps-related laws and regulations, safe community dispos

published guidance, and contact information. 

Some states that use the Internet to publicize their sharps d

programs and regulations include: 

◆ California 

www.ciwmb.ca.gov/wpie/healthcare/ppcp.htm

◆ Florida 

www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/facility/biomed/hmesha

◆ New Hampshire 

www.des.nh.gov/factsheets/sw/sw-31.htm

◆ New Jersey 

www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/phss/syringe.pdf 
4 

www.metrokc.gov/health/apu/resources/disposal.htm

◆ Wisconsin 

www.dnr.wi.gov/org/aw/wm/medinf

Mail-back Program Providers 

Mail-back programs, which allow home sharps users to mail their used 

sharps to a licensed disposal facility, present a safe, viable sharps disposal 

option for every community. For a list of providers, visit the Coalition for 

Safe Community Needle Disposal Web site at 

<www.safeneedledisposal.org>. 

Home Needle Destruction Devices 

These devices sever, melt, or burn the needle, allowing sharps users to 

throw the syringe or plunger in the garbage. For a list of vendors, visit 

the Coalition for Safe Community Needle Disposal Web site at 

<www.safeneedledisposal.org>. 

Other Relevant Information 

To learn more about regulations concerning medical waste disposal, 

consult EPA's Medical Waste Web site at 

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

The Household Hazardous Waste section of the Earth 911 Web site, 

<www.earth911.org>, allows users to enter their ZIP code and view 

a list of sharps disposal programs available in their area. 
Lowcost Solution Protects Employees 

Houston, Texas 

To better serve sharps 

users while guarding 

against needle-stick 

injuries, the Houston 

Airport System (HAS) 

installed wall-mounted 

sharps disposal units in 

all 69 of its public and employee restrooms at a cost 

of $300 per year and a startup cost of $2,000. HAS 

financed the disposal program. For more information on the program, contact Bush 

Intercontinental Airport at (281) 230-3017. 

Drop-Off Collection: 

Statewide Partnership Reduces


Needle Sticks


Rhode Island


Rhode Island formed a state coalition, headed by the 

Diabetes Foundation of Rhode Island, to address an 

increase in needle-stick injuries at the state's landfill 

and materials recovery facility. The program placed 

sharps disposal kiosks at 42 locations statewide, 

including pharmacies, doctors' offices, and fire and 

police stations. Home sharps users bring their filled 

sharps containers for disposal and receive a new 

contact the Diabetes Foundati

Island at (401) 725-7800.


Drop-Off Collection: 

24-Hour Low-cost Commun

Wisconsin Rapids, Wiscons

Riverview Hospital in


Wisconsin Rapids,


Wisconsin, began its own


sharps disposal program.


Sharps Smart was imple­


mented to help sharps


users follow the state law


that keeps used sharps out of the w

The program allows self-injectors to 

commercial sharps containers or sea

containers to the hospital, where use

container with an orange biohazard l

into the Sharps Smart cart for free d

Maintaining the program costs about 

year. The collection cart, located in t

of the hospital, is always available to 

For more information, contact 

Hospital Environmental Servic

(715) 421-7443. 

The mention of any company, product, or process in t

constitute or imply endorsement by the U.S. Environm

5

ggpy 

ordinance that prohibits disposing of used sharps 

in household trash. The city implemented a sharps 

disposal program that allows sharps users to drop 

off sharps containers at the city’s existing household 

hazardous waste collection facilities. The program is 

successful largely due to the fact that it is convenient and free. The California Integrated Waste 

Management Board funded the program for the first 

two years at an annual cost of $5,900. The city of 

San Bernardino now funds it at an annual cost of 

$6,000. To publicize the program, the city offers a 

point-of-sale display to pharmacies and includes 

information about the program in the city newsletter. 

To learn more, contact the city of 

San Bernardino at (909) 384-5549. 

Residential Special Waste Pickup: 

Door-to-Door Disposal Service 

Columbus, Georgia 

The city of Columbus, 

Georgia, took a personal 

approach to its sharps 

disposal program after 

sanitation workers suffered needle-stick 

injuries from sharps discarded in household garbage. 

Residents now collect their sharps in their own hard 

Mail-back Program: 

Flexibility and Accessibility 

Alameda County, California 

Some municipalities are recogniz­


ing the flexible benefits of mail-


back programs and are beginning


to offer them to their residents.


Restaurant chains, department


stores, stadiums, and school dis­


tricts are also beginning to use mail-ba

as a viable disposal option for their co

Mailback programs complement exist

collection programs by offering dispos

for rural or homebound residents. 


Alameda County, California, is conduc

gram by distributing mail-back contain

charge to medically under-served pop

county’s large size and diverse demog

presented problems in adopting more 

ods of safe sharps disposal, such as d

residential collection. By contracting w

mail-back service, Alameda hopes to r

percentage of its self-injecting populat

have a mailbox, they have access to t

For more information, contact t

County Sharps Coalition at (510

6 
United States


Environmental Protection Agency


5305W


Washington, DC 20460


EPA530-K-04-001


October 2004


www.epa.gov/osw


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