Needle Disposal

Safe disposal of used needles, aka “sharps”

Used needles are considered hazardous medical waste which can cause injury or infection. Therefore, they must be disposed of properly and incinerated by healthcare authorities.

Use a sharps container to dispose of used needles. A sharps container is a specially designed container for storing and disposing of needles. You can get a sharps container from a needle exchange (Ireland, Scotland) or buy a sharps container online here.

We can provide funding to buy a sharps container through our healthcare fund. Contact us to make a request.

Disposing of a full sharps container

It is essential to avoid overfilling your sharps container (it will generally have a mark on the outside saying ‘do not fill beyond this line). 

When it is full, you should seal it by closing the lid and bringing it to your local needle exchange (Ireland, Scotland). Some local pharmacies and GP practices may also accept full sharps containers. It’s worth asking them if you do not have access to a needle exchange.

Feedback or questions

If you have any questions at all please contact us.