disposing of sharps?

veggiechick120 · April 2012

i have the sharps container and everything. but do i put it sealed up in my garbage, or is there somewhere specific that i am supposed to send it? or is this all state specific stuff?

DebateThis · April 2012

I just realized not 20 minutes ago that my sharps container is still sitting on my counter, lol.

I need to call my RE tomorrow to clarify but I seem to remember the nurse telling me to bring it in and they'd dispose of it for me.

naybird · April 2012

Check with waste management in your city. It usually will say on their website or you can call and ask.

kzawisl · April 2012

Legally, you can duct tape it and throw it in the trash. I took mine back to my RE to dispose of with their office waste.

lovebug33 · April 2012

Ask your RE first. They took mine!

Jeepie Doll · April 2012

My RE wouldn't take any sharps to dispose of. Other options are calling you local pharmacy (my local one wouldn't take mine, but one in a hospital would) or check with your local firehouses since a lot of them take sharps to properly dispose.

There is a page on CDC's site that tells you how to throw them in the trash. If I remember correctly, it needs to be in something like a laundry detergent bottle and you have to write with a sharpie "do no recycle, contains used sharps" or something like that.

lovemygs · April 2012

I brought mine to one of my OB appts, and they took care of it for me.

veggiechick120 · April 2012

thanks for the info everyone! i believe i remember hearing my RE saying they wont take it, something about their containers having to weigh the correct amount or something. but ill ask the pharmacy near me.

theworms · April 2012

my re's office took mine but you can check online with your state epa for disposal instructions. sometimes fire dept.'s or nursing homes will take.

GL

pb_bride · April 2012

Also check your city's waste & recycling website. I know my city & neighboring cities have specific drop off sites on specific dates that will take discarded medication and sharps.

Where did you get your medicine in the first place? I got mine from a pharmacy specialized in fertility drugs, and they have no problem taking back my sharp containers.

jillychris · April 2012

We had to make an appt with the hazardous waste dept to drop it off at the dump.

theboki · April 2012

This can be a true PITA. My RE always took them. But once I graduated, I had to find another alternative. I'm on insulin for the duration of my pregnancy, and my pharmacy wouldn't take the sharps. So what I do is this. I keep mine in a ziplock bag and take them to my doctor's appointments with me (DE and OB). While I'm waiting for the doctor to come in, I just dump my needles into their sharps container. Problem solved.

Ann679 · April 2012

I looked on the Sharps website and there were state by state directions. I ended up putting my container in a paper bag in the trash.

DeputiesWife · April 2012

DH dropped it off at the hospital.

leolyns · April 2012

My RE's office would have charged me since they get charged by weight. I was going to take it to the household waste place for my county but once I discovered that I could dispose these by putting duct tape on the sharps container, I did that.

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