Sharps

Medical sharps, such as disposable needles, lancets, and syringes, are critical health devices used by millions to self-inject medications outside of healthcare settings. Each year, Americans discard more than three billion medical sharps, often disposing of them in the trash, which can pollute the environment and injure residents, sanitation workers, waste management personnel, and hospitality workers. Properly disposing of medical sharps can be quite challenging, as there are very few viable options for disposal, and many states direct residents to put their medical sharps in plastic containers and throw them away in the trash, which still poses health risks, especially for waste management workers. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) can serve as a solution to ensure the proper disposal of medical sharps, minimizing the safety risks and environmental concerns associated with improper medical sharp disposal. EPR for medical sharps has been successfully operating in in Canada and France.   

Programs

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California Sharps Take-Back Program 

In 2008, California passed SB 212, which established both a pharmaceutical EPR program and a first-in-the-nation EPR program for medical sharps. California’s medical sharps program is funded and managed by medical sharp producers and manufacturers, providing safe and convenient disposal options for home-generated medical sharp waste at no cost to California residents. California’s program is run by two producer responsibility organizations – MED-Project USA and The Drug Takeback Solutions Foundation – and the program is overseen by CalRecycle.   

• CalRecycle -  Sharps Waste Stewardship Program  
• Order a Sharps Mail-Back Package  

Resources

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Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) – Medical Sharps