How to dispose of needles and syringes: the FDA's two steps
- Contain. Place all needles and other sharps in a sharps disposal container immediately after they have been used.[2]
- Dispose. Get rid of used sharps containers according to your community guidelines. Start this when the container is about three-quarters full.[2]
FDA-cleared sharps containers are sold at pharmacies, medical supply companies, health care providers and online.[1]
Sharps container: what to use if you have none
The FDA says a heavy-duty plastic household container, such as a laundry detergent bottle, can be used instead.[1] It should be:[3]
- made of heavy-duty plastic;
- closed with a tight-fitting, puncture-resistant lid that sharps cannot come out of;
- upright and stable while in use;
- leak-resistant;
- labelled to warn that it holds hazardous waste.
What never to do
Never loose in the trashNever put loose needles or other sharps in household or public trash cans or recycling bins, and never flush them down the toilet.[1]
Keep containers out of reach of children and pets, and do not reuse a sharps container.[2][4]
Use each syringe once
MedlinePlus: never reuse needles or syringes.[4] The CDC puts it as “One Needle, One Syringe, Only One Time”: once used, the syringe and needle are both contaminated and must be discarded.[5] In the UK, the NHS tells people using insulin pens to fit a new needle every time and to put the used one in a sharps bin.[6]
Where full containers go
The FDA lists four kinds of disposal for full containers in the US. Which ones exist near you depends on your community.[2]
- Drop boxes or supervised collection sites, such as doctors' offices, hospitals, pharmacies, and police or fire stations.
- Household hazardous waste collection sites run by local authorities.
- Mail-back programmes for FDA-cleared containers, usually for a fee.
- Residential special waste pick-up from your home, usually for a fee.
Outside the US, ask your pharmacist or local council what applies where you live.
Before the syringe goes in the container
Disposal is the last step of using a syringe safely. The first steps are choosing the right one and reading it correctly: see insulin syringe sizes for barrels and needles, how to read an insulin syringe for the scale, and syringe measuring mistakes for the errors medication-safety groups see most often. The parts of the syringe, from barrel to needle hub, are labelled in parts of a syringe.
Frequently asked questions
How do you dispose of needles at home?
Put each used needle straight into a sharps container, and when it is about three-quarters full, dispose of it the way your community allows, for example at a drop box or by mail-back.
Can I throw syringes in the trash?
Not loose. The FDA says never to put loose needles or sharps in household or public trash or recycling. Use a sharps container and follow local disposal rules.
What can I use instead of a sharps container?
The FDA says a heavy-duty plastic household container, such as a laundry detergent bottle, with a tight, puncture-resistant lid, can be used if you have no FDA-cleared container.
When should I replace a sharps container?
When it is about three-quarters full.