Why can needles and syringes be thrown into the trash?
There are more than 6 million people in the U.S. infected with hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, syphilis, or other contagious diseases which can be contracted from a stick with a used hypodermic needle.Businesses: Businesses are required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to deposit sharps into a sharps container that complies with OSHA regulations in order to protect employees. Once that container is full, it must be disposed of according to state and federal regulations.Non–Businesses (Home Users): Over 3 billions needles are thrown into the trash each year by home users treating illnesses such as diabetes. Even if first placed into a secured container, these containers break open when the trash truck compacts them. Workers are stuck with the needles, and must go through months of testing for HIV and hepatitis because they don’t know where the needles came from, or what diseases they may carry.
