How to Dispose of Sharps in Your State

	Put used sharps in a heavy-duty, plastic container. See: List of acceptable containers. Loose sharps should never be thrown into the trash or toilet.
	When the container is about three-quarters (¾) full, put the lid on, seal it with duct tape, and label: DO NOT RECYCLE.
	Put the sealed plastic container in the household trash - do not recycle! If a trash collector is reluctant to collect a red sharps container, refer them to your state waste agency.

• If you have a needle clipper, it can be disposed of according to your state or local regulations when full. See: More information on needle clippers.
• Sharps that retract after use, or are very small, should be disposed of like all other sharps.

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If you would like to bring your sealed container to a community sharps disposal program, the Delaware Solid Waste Authority accepts sharps during Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events. For more information about HHW Collection Events, call the Citizen's Response Line at 800-404-7080 or visit the DSWA website

The Delaware Department of Natural Resource and Environmental Control has issued the following guidelines for household-generated sharps: Household Sharps (i.e. needles and syringes) may be disposed of into the municipal trash stream provided they were generated by a household. The following steps should be followed in order to ensure proper disposal: Needles and syringes should be placed in a liquid detergent bottle or coffee can. When full, the lid should be taped on to the bottle or can. The container, bottle or can should be double bagged and placed in the trash; preferably at the bottom half of the trash can to prevent tampering. Sharps containers can also be disposed at any of the Delaware Solid Waste Authority Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events.

State guidelines provided courtesy of NeedyMeds via SafeNeedleDisposal.org.