SAFE NEEDLE DISPOSAL
Concord is in the process of developing a safe needle disposal program which will provide residents with an alternative to disposing of needles with household waste. Until the program is developed, however, residents are instructed to dispose of needles using a destructive device, a mail-back program, or in a secure container with regular household waste (see guidelines below).
Please check back to this page frequently so you will know when the new safe needle disposal program is in place. Once a safe needle disposal program is developed for the Town of Concord, residents will be instructed NOT to dispose of needles with household trash.
Guidelines for disposing of needles with household trash:
* Use a home SHARPS container available at most pharmacies or a clearly labeled plastic detergent bottle with a secure screw-on lid.
X Do not put sharps in soda cans or bottles, juice bottles, glass containers, milk cartons, or any other container.
* If using a detergent bottle, clearly label the container BEFORE putting anything into the container.
* Place used needles, syringes and lancets into the container needle-end first.
* Keep containers in areas that are child and animal proof.
* When full, securely tape the lid closed - make sure bottle is labeled - and place in your trash.
X Do not put sharps containers in your recycling bins (this sounds obvious, but needles show up regularly at recycling facilities).
Destructive Devices for Safe Needle Disposal
Devices or containers with mechanisms that bend, break, incinerate (destroy by high heat), or shear needles are called sharps needle destruction devices.
A needle cutter or needle clipper clips the needle from the syringe and automatically stores the cut needles. Clipped needles should be disposed of with regular household waste in a clearly labeled container or through a mail-back program.
A needle incinerator can be used at home to destroy needles immediately after use. These small, portable devices use a few seconds of high heat to melt needles and reduce them to BB-size balls. Previously used only in healthcare facilities, these devices are now available in smaller, less expensive models for home use. Once the needle or lancet is destroyed by heat in a destruction device, the remaining syringe and melted metal can be safely disposed of in the garbage (not the recycling container).
Contact a medical supplies distributor or search on-line for needle cutter, needle clipper, or needle incinerator for a product with prices that suites your needs.
Mail Back Sharps Disposal Programs
There are a variety of mail back sharps disposal programs available. These programs generally charge a single up-front fee which covers the cost of the container as well as return postage and disposal of the container.
Waste Management, the hauler that collects waste for the town of Concord, offers a mail-back program that provides a variety of different containers and mail back options.
Search on line for other programs and prices that suit your needs.
Resources
MA Department of Public Health – Link to PDF
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