Safe Disposal of Personal Sharps on Campus
Student Health Services wants to be sure we keep all our Seagulls safe. This means that all waste needles, syringes, and lancets (personal sharps) used to administer medications such as insulin, medications specific for allergies, arthritis, diabetes, hormones, infertility, migraines, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, psoriasis, etc., must always be properly disposed of. This helps to safely reduce pollution to our environment and prevent injury or transition of disease from accidental needle sticks.
Individuals who use syringes at home or at work are responsible for ensuring that their used syringes are stored in a way that does not cause a health hazard. Disposing of work/home generated sharps in the municipal solid waste stream (domestic trash) places University employees, contractors, and the campus community at risk for needle stick injuries and infections from accidental exposure to used personal sharps.
There are multiple restrooms throughout campus where sharps containers are available for use. Please see the attached map for those locations. Please Contact Student Health Services 410-543-6262 if you need an individual sized sharps container.
Remember:
- NEVER leave personal sharps anywhere they could injure someone.
- NEVER store used sharps in glass bottles, soda bottles, milk jugs, aluminum cans, or coffee cans.
- NEVER place containers with used needles or syringes in a recycling bin.
- NEVER place loose sharps in the trash.
- NEVER place sharps containers with a BIOHAZARD label on the outside of the container in the trash. Labeled Biohazard material is not allowed in the domestic waste stream.
- NEVER bring sharps containers to medical facilities if they do not accept them.
- Always keep storage containers for used sharps out of the reach of children.