As of November 1, 2024, Hunterdon Health will no longer offer the Safe Syringe Program. Please see the guidelines below with no-cost alternatives to dispose of needles at home safely.
This information is provided by the New Jersey Department of Health.
The improper disposal of syringes or reusable hypodermic needles is regulated by New Jersey State Law (N.J.S.A. 2C:36-6.1) The Statute prohibits any person from discarding disposable or reusable hypodermic needles or syringes, in public or private places which are accessible to other persons without first destroying the needle or syringe. This means you are responsible for destroying your needles and syringes, even when you visit other people. Violators of this Statute can be fined up to $500.00 and/or imprisoned or both. If visiting other states, check their laws to determine whether your medical waste is regulated and/or the proper disposal methods.
Household Waste Follow these steps to safely dispose of your syringes in your municipal trash. Your syringes must be placed in rigid containers that will protect people from needle sticks and use containers that are unlikely to break open on their way to the landfill.
Rigid Container - You may use empty laundry detergent bottles, 2-liter soda bottles or other rigid containers with screw-on caps to dispose of needles and syringes. Check with a pharmacy to purchase commercial containers specially designed to hold sharps for disposal in your household trash.
Label/Warning - Place a large label with a warning on the empty container. Example: Syringes - DO NOT RECYCLE.
Needle Clipper to Clip the Needle - You can buy an inexpensive hand-held needle clipper from the pharmacy. Using anything other than a clipper to break a needle is not safe. After clipping the needle, carefully place your used needles and syringes into a plastic bottle with a screw-on lid.
Seal - Seal the bottle tightly with its original lid and wrap duct tape over the lid after you fill the bottle with syringes.
Disposal - You may now dispose of the tightly sealed full container of syringes in your household garbage - NOT in your recycling bin. Remember, although you may feel healthy, your used syringes can transmit germs. In addition, loose syringes thrown in your trash can seriously hurt people. We all benefit from the safe disposal of syringes. Please do your part to help keep our environment clean and safe.
