Needle disposal

[Tarantula]

I just saw a post on another forum that I belong to, some guy was asking where to dispose of his sharps container, one of the answers was this:

“Probably illegal – but I wondered if you could get rid through a diabetic? Not sure if type 1’s are provided with disposable bin? Will ask my sis in law as she will know.

Otherwise my husband suggested putting them in a tin and chucking in the metal skip at local tip?????
Prob a bit dodgy – but the metal just gets weighed in for recycling? Am I being a bit dim about this? ” !!!!!!

This is the kind of thing that gives us DiYers a bad name…

[imported_canvasyou]

Sharps and sharpz go to local hospital – always!
Sometimes bio-hazard company will pick them up for a fee –
hospital will always take them though…

[leopardprints67]

@canvasyou wrote:

Sharps and sharpz go to local hospital – always!
Sometimes bio-hazard company will pick them up for a fee –
hospital will always take them though…

I just run down the street to the local hospital or in a pinch, my friend will take them at his shop for disposal. Too bad he has no room for artists there:-(

[Ladysinaz]

@Tarantula wrote:

I just saw a post on another forum that I belong to, some guy was asking where to dispose of his sharps container, one of the answers was this:

“Probably illegal – but I wondered if you could get rid through a diabetic? Not sure if type 1’s are provided with disposable bin? Will ask my sis in law as she will know.

Otherwise my husband suggested putting them in a tin and chucking in the metal skip at local tip?????
Prob a bit dodgy – but the metal just gets weighed in for recycling? Am I being a bit dim about this? ” !!!!!!

O_o

I would think that this is something that would be highly researched into at the medical waste level before even coming close to a person with a needle. (oops sorry sanitation worker, didn’t mean to give you the aids there)

Everything i have found and been told by the powers that be has been the hospitals is the easiest way.

[tat2theEarth]

I have called 3 hospitals in my area in elk county, pa and they all said they would not accept a sharps container from home, and would not answer any questions regarding safe disposal. They do dell kits on superiortattoo.com that solidifies sharps for safe disposal in any household garbage. I would check into that.

[tazman]

Taleked to my cousin who is a nurse and she said another way of disposing of needles in a sharps container is once the container is full of used needles, to fill it with plaster that you can get at a hardware store and let it solidify. Once it is hard you can just pop out the block and throw away. That way you can keep using the same container.

[demonicus]

I cant believe that your local hospital wont take em, that’s messed up. check your local tattoo shop to see what they do with em if thats the case. Up here in canada every hospital is required to take em. I’ve heard that you can fill the container with bleach and leave it and that makes em sterile enough to toss away but I’m not sure if I would trust that. Think about the guy at your local landfill… you think he wants to find your bio hazardous sharps while he’s walking through the trash?

[cjmahone66]

i agree that sharps should be sent to collection area, like hospital, but if they wont accept them…..
do you really think that your trash is so clean it doesn’t contain any or all of the things that could be contained in your sharps?
at least in my area, trash collectors actually wear needle stick kevlar gloves for a reason. on top of that, 99% of the trash is picked up by machine and incinerated. high temps created by incineration (usually above 600 degrees F) are designed to kill EVERYTHING!
i am not saying we should take this lightly, but we also should not over think this either.

[cjmahone66]

just wanted to further clarify something.
i do not advocate tossing trash bags full of used needles into your local dumpster, but i have thrown a few in the trash in the past when i had no other option. I have put the needle end into the disposable grip, then bend the needle bar down and tape it to the outside of the grip. tape it up well in all directions so that needle stays protected inside that grip. but again- this is a LAST resort.

[perack]

Used needles are just not to be thrown on a regular bin as chances are, people are going to encounter them on the dumps and probably cause more problems than actually bringing it to a local hospital so that they could manage the type of waste on their own. But be sure that it never goes in contact with anyone else so it actually pays to keep the casing just so you could use that to safe keep it as well.

[johnmacklin26]

Taleked to my relative who is a health professional and she said another way of losing tiny needles in a sharps package is once the package is complete of used tiny needles, to complete it with plaster that you can get at a shop and let it strengthen. Once it is difficult you can just pop out the prevent and toss away. That way you can keep using the same package.

[dermisdweller]

i live in SC and was reading up on needle disposal in my state. i read to fill a 2 liter bottle 3/4 way full and tighten lid as much as possible then tape it and toss it in the trash, crazy thats how my state wants it done but if they think thats safe and nobody else wants them.

[Ramenuzumaki]

I have a huge sharps container, so I havent had to empty it yet, but I was told you could take it to a local pharmacy as well?

[shawncooper78]

well if hospitals won’t taking them, then it doesn’t means that we can dispose them in local garbage bin…..

[Jester Ink]

i live in missouri, and have also wondered this question. did some research and found that : Missouri: The state of Missouri has not developed written guidance on the disposal of household generated needles. (Superior Tattoo Equipment recommends it’s convenient all-in-one solidification kit for tattooing and piercing needle disposal.)
also heres a link: http://www.superiortattoo.com/tips/Sharps_container_dropoff.asp for more info on that or any state. I personally cut the tips off the needles with wire cutters (use caution, lil dudes will try and fly) then bend the rest, and put em in cardboard tubing, once thats full i toss it in the trash.

[FrancoLewis]

Local Hospital would surely take them. That’s the easiest way,I believe so.

[leena]

Anything that comes into contact with bodily fluids (blood, plasma, mucus, semen, etc.) that cannot be sterilized must be disposed of. But you can’t throw bio-hazard materials into a regular trash can, because then it could harm someone it comes in contact with at the waste management facility, or end up in the water supply or on a beach somewhere. Medical waste must be discarded in a separate bag or canister marked clearly as a bio-hazard.

[jcarmack]

As a last resort, once a container is filled with needles fill it up with bleach and let it sit for a day or two. Afterwards you can pour the bleach down the drain. If you can’t dispose of them at your local hospital you need to look at getting a setup with a waste disposal company and have them pick up your hazardous waste once it reaches a certain level. You need to look at the local laws in your area regarding this because you can rack up some hefty fines if you don’t follow the letter of the law, not to mention you are putting someone’s health on the line.

[Author]

Posts