Sharps Disposal

Needles and syringes from a household are not considered medical waste and can be disposed of with regular trash as long as the following conditions are met. NOTE, these requirements are only for households and do NOT apply to healthcare facilities or other industries that are required to properly dispose of medical waste. 

• Place needles and syringes in a hard plastic or metal container with a tightly secured lid. 
• Thick plastic containers such as laundry detergent, or bleach containers work well for disposing of sharps.
• Label the container with the word “Syringes,” “Sharps,” or “Needles.”     
• When the container is full, seal and reinforce its lid with heavy-duty tape. 
• Dispose of the sealed container in the household trash
• Don’t use containers made of glass or clear plastic. 
• Don’t use thin plastics, such as soda bottles, as they are easily pierced.
• Don’t put the container in the recycling bin. 
• Don’t throw loose needles or syringes in your household garbage

For more information about disposing of sharps, please look over this flyer from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)