How do I dispose of Sharps safely?

Many people use Sharps on a regular basis for a variety of medical reasons – diabetics injecting insulin or people with severe allergies injecting adrenaline, for example.

Whilst for some people using Sharps is unavoidable, accidents involving those Sharps absolutely are. One area in which something can easily go wrong is when it comes to disposing of Sharps – really, there’s only one way of disposing of them safely and if you aren’t doing it this way then you’re doing it wrong.

When you’ve finished using Sharps they need to be put in a Sharps bin – it’s as simple as that. Sharps bins are a rigid box with a lid and they’re available on prescription from your GP or Pharmacist.

You can use them for disposing of needles, syringes, lancets, and needle clippers.

As soon as you’ve finished using Sharps you must immediately put it in your Sharps bin. Once in the bin, you should never reach in to try to take them out again or to move them around.

If you use Sharps to deal with a medical condition, then it’s the local council’s responsibility to collect your full Sharps bin. You can find out more on your local council’s website.

You mustn’t ever put used Sharps in a normal bin alongside household waste or put it inside some other kind of container – like a used plastic bottle – and dispose of it that way. Sharps can cause some serious injuries and can even pass on diseases or blood-borne viruses, like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, or HIV. So, it’s absolutely crucial that you avoid any risk of an injury by always disposing of them correctly.