Can I Throw My Lancets, Insulin Syringes or Injection Needles in the Garbage?

Washed up syringe

Absolutely not! Under no circumstances is throwing a used needle or any sharps in the regular waste bin acceptable. It’s dangerous to you, your co-workers and the environment.

In the 80s hundreds of used needles and other medical waste started washing up on the shores of New Jersey and New York, causing them to shut down the beaches for several days in order to clean up the waste.

Because of the lack of medical waste regulations during this time, sharps and other medical wastes were often just thrown in with the rest of a hospitals garbage. This lead to a massive amount of medical waste collecting in a New York landfill which eventually started polluting the oceans.

The New York Times reported in 1988 that 77 syringes and even entire test tubes of blood were found on the beach.

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So, instead of throwing your used injection needles in the garbage, get a proper sharps container and keep the environment safe!

Image source: NJ.com

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