How to Dispose of Medical Waste in New Jersey

Citizens of New Jersey dispose of an estimated 700,000 used syringes, lancets and needles every day, according to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. Many hospitals accept used syringes and needles from patients for proper disposal. If your hospital does not offer this program, ask your local health department for nearby syringe disposal facilities. Otherwise, follow the Department of Health's guidelines for syringe disposal in your household trash. Failure to comply with the regulations can result in a fine and imprisonment.

Things You'll Need

• Needle clipper
• Sharps container
• Plastic container
• Duct tape
• Label
• Pen
• Biohazard bag

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Instructions

• 1

  Clip each needle with a needle clipper immediately after use. Do not clip the needle with any other type of device; this can be dangerous.

• 2

  Place the used needles and syringes into a sharps container. If you do not have a sharps container, use another plastic container that is puncture-proof and can be securely sealed.

• 3

  Place the lid on the container. If it is not a sharps container, wrap the lid with duct tape for added security when the container is full.

• 4

  Label the container. Write "Medical Waste -- Do Not Recycle" or "Syringes -- Do Not Recycle."

• 5

  Dispose of the container in your household trash. Do not place it in a recycling bin.