Disposal Through City Trash Collection

 While this method is not recommended due to safety concerns related to staff exposure, residents may dispose of needles by following the guidelines below. The safest option for disposal is through Household Hazardous Waste.

Proper disposal helps minimize the risk that sanitation workers and transfer station employees are exposed to due to the risk of disease transmission and injury from needle-sticks.

• Needles, lancets and syringes can be disposed of in city refuse bags if contained in an empty plastic bottle (pop, milk, bleach or laundry soap bottle).
• The plastic bottle must be sealed with a cap and taped.
• It is recommended that duct tape be used to seal the cap in place on the bottle.
• Label the container "Do Not Recycle: Household Sharps" several times using a permanent marker.
• Do not use glass bottles or jars or metal cans for the disposal of needles, lancets and syringes.
• Place the plastic bottle in your city refuse bag.
• Do not place the container in your recycling bin. The bottle and its contents are no longer recyclable.
• Do not place needles, lancets or syringes loose in a refuse bag.
• Do not place a commercial sharps disposal container into a city refuse bag.

It is highly recommended that needles, lancets, syringes or other bio-hazard medical waste is disposed of through Household Hazardous Waste (sharps only), your clinic, hospital or pharmacy.

Thank you for keeping workers safe!