Sharps Disposal

An individual home user generates sharps as a result of self-injection or injection by a family member for the treatment or control of an illness such as diabetes, allergies or for another legitimate purposes. The Clay County Sharps Disposal Program was initiated in 1995.

Sharps are defined as a device with physical characteristics having the potential to puncture, lacerate or otherwise penetrate the skin. These may include contaminated hypodermic needles, syringes, disposable scalpel blades, intact or broken glass and/or hard plastic.

Medical waste from private residences is increasingly becoming a disposal problem and can create issues and contribute to the spread of disease:

• They can puncture solid waste containers and place workers along collection routes and at landfills at risk
• They can clog sewer lift stations
• If not properly disposed of, sharps end up at recycling centers among the cans and plastics
• Used sharps have the potential to transmit hepatitis, HIV, and other diseases

Sharps Container Disposal

Sharps should be placed directly into a vertical Sharps container (rigid, leak-proof, one-way puncture resistant container) without recapping, clipping or breaking. Containers should be labeled with the biomedical symbol, name, address and date container was put into use.

When disposing of sharps, be sure to: 

• Use only approved sharps containers
• Fill only 3/4 full and dispose after 30 days
• Seal the container before transporting

You will receive a new container when dropping off your full container.

Disposal Locations