Sharps Disposal

Public Health | Environmental Health

What is considered a sharp?

A sharp is any object that can cut or puncture you. This includes:

Syringes with needles attached
Hypodermic needles
Lancets
Scalpel blades or razor blades

Why are sharps dangerous?

Used needles, lancets and other contaminated sharps can carry HIV, hepatitis and other diseases. Proper handling of sharps can protect yourself, your family, sanitation workers, and the general public from illness or injury by contaminated sharps.

How can I get rid of sharps in Skagit County?

Household Generated Sharps

Skagit County Public Health is not a drop off location for sharps.

In Skagit County, you can dispose of household generated sharps in the following ways:

Asking your pharmacy or doctor's office if they will accept your used sharps container; or
Subscribing to a sharps mail-back program. You may be able to mail back certain FDA-cleared sharps containers to a disposal site for a fee. Some sharps containers that you purchase from drug stores may have instructions for mail-back. Follow the manufacturers instructions included with the disposal container, as these programs may have specific requirements for mail-back. Note, FDA-cleared sharps containers cannot be disposed of with regular household garbage; or
Disposing of properly labeled and contained sharps in your household garbage (see Skagit County Code 12.16.350(5)(b)). Residents can follow these steps to keep yourself and sanitation workers safe:

1. Place used residential sharps in an opaque, puncture-resistant hard plastic or metal container with a leak-proof screw-on or secured lid. An empty bleach or laundry detergent bottle works well. Do not use glass or thin plastic.

thick plastic bottles with warning lables

2. Label the container with the biohazard symbol and the words “Biohazard” and “Sharps”. Tape the label securely to the lid. Skagit County Public Health offers pre-made labels on bright-colored paper that can be picked up or mailed to residents.

3. When the container is 3/4 full (do not overfill to reduce risk of injury), screw on lid tightly and seal around the lid with duct tape.

4. Dispose of container in the regular trash. Do not recycle.

Business Generated Sharps

Businesses are required to dispose of their collected sharps via a licensed biomedical waste handler (Skagit County Code 12.16.350). Business generated sharps may not be disposed with regular solid waste. Depending on the needs of the business, businesses may choose:

Mail-back services
On-site pick up services

Waste sharps should be stored for no longer than 6 months. Businesses must receive a certificate of disposal and retain disposal records for a minimum of 3 years.

If you have questions about how to manage your business’ waste, Skagit County has partnered with the Department of Ecology to provide free technical assistance to businesses through the Pollution Prevention Program.

What should I do if I find sharps on public or private property?

Anyone who finds discarded sharps should assume they are contaminated. Sharps found on private property are the property owners' responsibility. Follow safe handling and disposal guidelines described on this page to protect yourself when safely disposing of sharps found on your property.

Sharps found on public property in unincorporated Skagit County can be reported to Skagit County Public Works Litter Crew. Sharps found on public property within city limits should be reported to each city's Public Works department. Do not touch or attempt to clean up sharps on public property.

How can I safely collect and store sharps?

After using sharps, immediately put them in a sharps container with the needle pointing down.
Do not recap, try to remove or bend needles.
Do not overfill sharps containers. Use a heavy-duty plastic container if an FDA-cleared container is not available.
Do not flush sharps down the toilet or toss them in the trash, because this can pose health risks for others.
Do not burry or burn sharps, this is considered illegal disposal.

What do I do if I am poked by a needle?

If you are poked by a discarded or used needle, you should wash the area right away and seek medical attention. Use warm soapy water to wash the injury and wash any areas where the water splashes.

If you are at work, alert your supervisor and seek immediate medical attention. You need get guidance from a doctor, even if the injury is very minor.

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