Sharps disposal?

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Bender
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Sharps disposal?

Post by Bender »

So I know people get rid of needles, But where the hell do they do so. I've been turned away from hospitals, pharmacies, nursing homes, and fire departments.

Where the hell can I get rid of these things, at this point my best bet seems to be selling them to a group of homeless junkies (I kid I kid)
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NHE
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Re: Sharps disposal?

Post by NHE »

Bender wrote:So I know people get rid of needles, But where the hell do they do so. I've been turned away from hospitals, pharmacies, nursing homes, and fire departments.

Where the hell can I get rid of these things, at this point my best bet seems to be selling them to a group of homeless junkies (I kid I kid)
Check with your local county health clinics. Here's what I find out about the ones in my area.

http://www.thisisms.com/ftopicp-118878.html#118878

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carolsue
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Post by carolsue »

I called the local waste disposal company to ask this question. They said they do not take sharps containers. Instead, they told me to put the needles and syringes in plastic milk jugs, add some liquid bleach, put the cap on, write "sterile" on the milk jug, and put it out with my garbage for pickup to be taken to the landfill. 8O
All they care about and are liable for, apparently, is the biohazard aspect, which the bleach takes care of.
Being an avid recycler, re-user, and composter, I haven't done this yet. I have 7 years worth of syringes collecting in my basement...
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Bender
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Post by Bender »

honestly, this is the sort of shit that makes me think our country is truly fucked up.
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Post by Cece »

www.safeneedledisposal.org/index.cfm?load=page&page=114

This has a list of what to do per state.

My husband asked at the local recycling center once and they had no idea, but six months later, they'd added needles in a sharps container to the published list of things that they accepted, so they must have figured it out. I thought that was cool.
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NHE
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Re: Sharps disposal?

Post by NHE »

Thanks Cece. That looks like a helpful site. Unfortunately, I just checked the info for my state and found that it wasn't complete. One option was not listed, i.e., I know that my local county health clinics have a sharps disposal box which will take sharps in a labeled plastic pop bottle (or other similar container). However, this option was not listed (you had to click on a link to an external website to find it). In my state, we have a pretty good website for hazardous household waste disposal. That's what led me to the initial info which I posted.

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scoobyjude
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Post by scoobyjude »

I checked with my village to find out how I needed to dispose of them and they said to just tape up the sharps container to make sure it's securely closed and put it out for regular garbage pick-up. I was kind of shocked but they took it. I thought for sure I'd have to jump through some kind of hoops. Guess it really does depend on where you live.
Dxed Jan 2006. Sx since 2002. Rebif since March 2006. "When one door closes, another opens but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us." Alexander Graham Bell
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