What is Sharp Smarts?
Many people use sharps (needles, syringes and lancets) as part of their home medical care. Proper disposal of sharps is important to the safety of the sharps user and to workers who handle trash. Use a container that is: leakproof, shatterproof, and puncture proof with a screw top. (Good choices are durable plastic bottles, bleach and detergent bottles.) Bad choices are: glass and aluminum containers, metal cans with flimsy lids and cardboard container. Place lancets or needle and syringe in the container IMMEDIATELY after using. · DO NOT recap, bend needles or break lancets. · SECURE the top on the container. · Label the container “SHARPS”. · DO NOT label it “Medical Waste,” or “BIOHAZARD,” etc. · When the home container is full, make sure the top is screwed on securely, then apply tape around the top and the neck of the container. NEVER PUT SHARP CONTAINERS IN WITH RECYCLABLES.
