How to Recycle Sharps (Needles & Syringes)
Medical sharps including needles, syringes, lancets, and other pointed medical devices requiring specialized disposal to prevent injury and disease transmission. Americans generate 3 billion medical sharps annually from home healthcare, with proper disposal preventing 16,000+ needlestick injuries yearly among waste workers.
- 1Use FDA-cleared sharps disposal container immediately after use
- 2Never recap needles or remove them from syringes
- 3Place entire syringe-needle unit directly into container
- 4Fill container only to marked full line (usually 3/4 full)
- 5Secure lid tightly when full and shake test to ensure no items fall out
- 6Label container with date and contents if required locally
- 7Store in secure location away from children and pets until disposal
- Hospital and clinic sharps disposal programs
- Pharmacy take-back programs (limited locations)
- County health department collection sites
- Fire stations (some participate in programs)
- Mail-back sharps disposal services
- Medical waste companies serving communities
NEVER place in household trash, recycling bins, or flush down toilets. Use only FDA-cleared sharps containers - no coffee cans, soda bottles, or makeshift containers. Some mail-back programs available for home users. Large healthcare facilities must use licensed medical waste haulers.
Improper sharps disposal causes 16,000+ needlestick injuries annually among sanitation workers, creating disease transmission risk for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV. Proper disposal through medical waste incineration destroys pathogens completely while recovering metal content from needles for recycling.
- Use safety-engineered sharps with retractable needles
- Consider needle-free injection systems where appropriate
- Use insulin pens instead of vial-and-syringe systems
- Explore continuous glucose monitors to reduce finger sticks
Accepted
- Insulin syringes and pen needles
- Blood glucose testing lancets
- EpiPen auto-injectors (after use)
- Injection needles of all sizes
- Acupuncture needles
- Suture needles and scalpel blades
Not Accepted
- Medications or medication containers
- Non-sharp medical waste
- Broken glass (unless contaminated with blood)
- Razor blades used for non-medical purposes
Estimated value: $5-25 for home sharps container disposal, $0.50-2.00 per pound for bulk medical waste
Manufacturer/Retail Take‑Back
- Bloodborne pathogen contamination risk
- Potential medication residues
- Sharp injury hazard
Can I make my own sharps container from a coffee can?
No - only FDA-cleared containers meet safety standards for puncture resistance, leak-proofing, and secure closure. Makeshift containers put waste workers at serious injury risk.
What should I do if I get stuck by an improperly disposed needle?
Wash wound immediately with soap and water, seek immediate medical attention for post-exposure evaluation and potential treatment. Report the incident to local health authorities.
How full should I fill my sharps container?
Only to the marked fill line, typically 3/4 full. Overfilling prevents secure closure and increases spillage risk during transport.
Can I reuse needles to save money?
Never reuse needles - they become dull and increase injection pain, and reuse dramatically increases infection risk. Many assistance programs help with needle costs.
What's the difference between red bag and sharps waste?
Red bag waste is non-sharp regulated medical waste (gauze, gloves). Sharps require rigid, puncture-resistant containers due to injury risk. They're processed differently at treatment facilities.