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Put used sharps in a heavy-duty, plastic container. |
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When the container is about three-quarters (¾) full, put the lid on, seal it with duct tape, and label: DO NOT RECYCLE. |
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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 would like to bring your sealed container to a community sharps disposal program, there are drop-off locations in Blaine County, Cassia County, Gooding County, Jerome County, Kootenai County, Lincoln County, Minidoka County and Twin Falls County.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality has issued the following guidelines for household-generated sharps: As noted, medical waste generated by households is regulated as household waste in Idaho and may be disposed of with trash. Contact your local solid waste management company or county/city government to determine if special requirements apply.
It is recommended that household quantities of sharps be collected in hard-sided plastic containers with lids and empty space filled with sand or cat litter. It is recommended that household quantities of pharmaceuticals be disposed of at a hazardous waste facility or local collection event. If no such opportunity exists, pharmaceuticals generated at households should be removed from their original containers, mixed with an undesirable substance (like used coffee grounds or kitty litter), put in impermeable, nondescript containers, and hidden in trash. Community sharps disposal programs are not regulated under solid and infectious waste rules in Idaho.
Sharps users may be able to take their filled sharp container to local collections sites, however, sites may be limited in some areas. If available, sharps disposal options in your area can be found using our Locator tool.
