Lee County Used Sharps Collection Program
Many residents have meidcal conditions, particular diabetes, that require self-injection at home. Because of issues regarding safety and diseas transmission, the disposal of home-generated needles, syringes and lancets (or "sharps") has caused some concern by residents, collection workers and solid waste employees. Nearly 1 million sharps enter Lee County's solid waste stream every year. Make it your practice to dispose of them correctly.
What are Sharps?
Sharps are defined as syringes with attached needles, lancets or devices having the potential to puncture or lacerate. Once you use a syringe, needle, lancet or other sharp it becomes a potentially hazardous medical waste product. That is why it's important to dispose of sharps the right way.
They must be disposed of in special red box sharps containers as pictured on the left.
Improper disposal of sharps causes many problems, including:
- Clogging sewer and lift stations
- Ending up in recycling centers among cans and plastics
- Puncturing solid waste containers, placing workers at risk from hepatitis, HIV and other potentially fatal diseases
What You Can Do
1. Get a Proper Sharps Container
Pick up your initial sharps containers at no charge at many local fire district or municipal fire stations. (You may be asked to furnish proof that you require the use of syringes.) Sharps containers are also available for a small fee at most local pharmacies.
2. Use Your Sharp Properly
- Perform your routine blood test.
- Administer your normal injection. DO NOT CLIP the needle. DO NOT RECAP the needle.
- Safely deposit in the red box.
- Do not overfill the red box.
- When full or ready for an exchange, lock the lid into place to secure it from opening and return the sealed container to any participating fire station drop-off site during regular business hours to exchange for a new one.
3. Participate in the Used Sharps Collection Program
Pick up a free sharps container or return one by visiting one of these locations.
If no one is available at the fire station to assist with an exchange, DO NOT leave your sharps container. Leaving it unattended could put it in the wrong hands and result in serious injury.
For more information, click a brochure below: English, Spanish and Haitian Creole
Lee County Used Sharps Collection Program is sponsored by the Lee County Solid Waste Department in cooperation with the Florida Department of Health in Lee County and the listed collection sites.