Can Sharps Containers Be Thrown In The Trash

Sealed sharps containers should not be disposed of in regular trash.

Can sharps containers be thrown in the trash.

The answer to this might be somewhat surprising but in most us states you re allowed to throw your sealed sharps container in the household trash bin not in the recycle bin. Posted on october 20th 2016. Can you throw a sharps container in the garbage. This will reduce the risk of needle sticks cuts and punctures from loose sharps.

A sharp is any medical device with a sharp tip that cuts through your skin like a syringe needle or lancet. Sharps that retract after use or are very small should be disposed of like all other sharps. If you would like to bring your sealed container to a community sharps disposal program there are drop off locations in several counties. In most states properly sealed sharps disposal containers can be thrown away at home.

According to osha estimates 5 6 billion healthcare workers handling medical equipment such as needles syringes and scalpels are at risk of exposure to blood borne pathogens from sharps related injuries. Sharps containers must be properly labeled and stored safely and securely until available for disposal. Medical waste as well as needles and sharps should never be thrown away in a normal trash. Sharps should never be thrown loosely into the trash or toilet.

Check availability at designated distribution sites listed below. Disposal of medical waste. Sharps waste should be placed in a state approved container. Another alternative is to place your sharps waste in a container that does not leak break or puncture.

Once the needle or lancet is destroyed by heat in a destruction device the remaining syringe and melted metal can be safely disposed of in the garbage not the recycling container. A needle clipper that stores clipped needles should be disposed of at a sharps collection site or through a mail back program. To stay within osha compliance guidelines and states regulations one cannot throw their full sharps container in the regular garbage. It must be taped sealed and labeled sharps when your sharps container is about 3 4 full seal it securely.

As such they should not be thrown loosely in the trash so after using one it s best to immediately place it in a sharps disposal container. However you are not allowed to place sharps in the household trash in california massachusetts certain parts of washington and a few other areas so it s important to know your local rules. Having sharps containers in each room for injections and other contaminated sharps would be sufficient.