UMass Diabetes Center of Excellence Blog

Billions of needles, syringes, and lancets are used each year by people who self-inject insulin and check their blood sugars multiple times a day.  Improper disposal of these items can lead to health risks, environmental hazards, and legal consequences.  Throwing them away with the regular garbage or in recycling bins is dangerous.  CGM applicators, infusion sets, and all other sharps should be placed in a needle disposal container and treated as hazardous waste.  These items should never be thrown loosely into the trash or toilet.  Even sharps that retract after use, or are very small, should be disposed of like all other sharps.

When trash is compacted, these items can spill out, and sanitation workers must then manually pick them up.  When people get stuck by a used syringe needle or lancet, it becomes a serious problem.  Up to 850,000 people are injured each year by sharps tossed in regular household trash, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Discarded sharps can pollute water bodies, soil, and even air if incinerated improperly. This harms wildlife and ecosystems.  Federal and state laws mandate proper sharps disposal to protect public health and the environment

Sharps containers are available at a reasonable cost at most pharmacies, many of which offer a return service when they are full.  If you don’t want to purchase one, you may use an empty detergent or bleach bottle, if it’s made of a strong plastic that the needles cannot penetrate.  Ensure the container is clearly labeled as “Sharps,” “Needles,” or “Hazardous Waste” to inform others of its contents.  When the container is about 75% full, seal it and dispose of it properly.  Disposal rules and regulations vary between the states and even municipalities. 

Massachusetts is among the states where residents must bring sealed containers of used sharps to a designated drop-off disposal location or arrange a mail-back service.  However, other states allow sharps contained in a strong plastic container to be placed in the regular trash, but never put them in with the recycling.

To find the laws in your area, visit safeneedledisposal.org.  That website also offers a zip code search to find disposal locations near you.