How to Return Sharps Containers

As of 2009, 9 million Americans inject themselves with prescription drugs at home using syringes or needles, according to the City of Redding Household Hazardous Waste Facility in California. These and lancets, used to prick the skin to take blood tests with metering devices, are sharps. These sharps can be hazardous because they can break the skin and cause injury. They can also spread disease because they are exposed to bodily fluids when you inject or test. Properly dispose of sharps containers according to local regulations in the way that works best for you.

Things You'll Need

• Packing box
• Tape

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Instructions

Disposal at a Medical Facility

• 1

  Put sharps into an approved sharps container as soon as they are used. Stop when you reach the fill line.

• 2

  Close your sharps container well. Commercially designed sharps containers provided by your doctor or pharmacy have locking safety lids.

• 3

  Carry your sharps container to your medical facility. Ask where sharps are collected. Drop off your container at the lab, medical waste drop box or wherever you are instructed to bring it.

Mail-In Disposal

• 4

  Order a commercially designed sharps container. Get it through the pharmacy or doctor you regularly use or order it online.

• 5

  Fill the sharps container to the fill line and close it properly. Use the provided packaging to prepare the sharps container for mailing. Put the container in the bag provided. Place the container in its bag and then inside the prepaid package that was provided with the container.

• 6

  Complete the tracking form and place it inside the mailing box. Close the box and mail it to the designated address. Track the package to make sure it arrived and was destroyed.

Home Pick Up

• 7

  Use a special sharps disposal container provided by your city or county. If one is not provided, find out the local requirements for a proper sharps container. It should, at minimum, be a hard plastic, puncture-proof container.

• 8

  Fill and close the sharps disposal container. Seal it with strong tape such as duct tape as an extra precaution.

• 9

  Call or look online to find out your local service for sharps pick up. Call for a special pick up if that is required and set the container out on the scheduled day. If the sharps containers are picked up on a certain day each week or month, set it out on that day.