# Disposing of needles



## steviedib (Sep 17, 2012)

Is anyone having the same problem as me?.
Im being told that the only place I can get rid of my Sharps box is to return them to my own GP.
They however will only take them back on a Tuesday morning between 0830 and 1300 hrs.
Even my local PCT say they have to go back to the GP.
Seems however if Id been a drug user I could pop into any needle exchange pharmacy and dump my needles there.

 Surely theres an easier way to be a responsible needle user than this.


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## Caroline (Sep 17, 2012)

sometimes the local authorty responsible for refuse collection will take them away, but others have said they have had problems. Needles and sharps of any kind are considered in some places to be clinical waste so you'd need to contact the local council. If you are under the hospital or a clinic they MIGHT take them, worth checking to find out. I hope you find a way of disposing of your sharps.


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## Lizzie53 (Sep 17, 2012)

My local pharmacy will take them and also there is a collection service by the council. I usually wait until I have several boxes full and then give them a call. Have you tried asking the pharmacy where you get your medicines?


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## Northerner (Sep 17, 2012)

Might be easier to get a needle clipper. The BD Safeclip stores the sharp bits and you can then dispose of the remainder of the needles in ordinary waste. When the BD clipper is full you can just throw that away in your general waste.

http://www.bd.com/us/diabetes/page.aspx?cat=7002&id=7416

Most pharmacies sell them  for a couple of quid, or you can get them on prescription


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## Flutterby (Sep 17, 2012)

Our Lloyds chemist will take full  Sharps boxes back.  I found out by visiting the local council website and searching for disposal of sharps.  Might be worth looking at your local council on the off chance they can help.


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## ukjohn (Sep 17, 2012)

Not all Pharmacies can take full sharps bins, they must have a sharps clinical waste licence to take them back.

I am lucky, my local Council. South Gloucestershire District are fantastic, I phone them they issue me a a reference number, then notify Sita, that have a contract to collect all waste in this area, they phone me next day, and tell me when they will collect and its normally the next day, they send a little van around to collect.


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## Northerner (Sep 17, 2012)

Similar to John, I phone the council and then leave the bin on my doorstep on collection day. They leave me a new one behind (a 5 litre one, so it lasts about 2 years!!!)


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## Doc_Brown (Sep 17, 2012)

I believe it's your GP surgery's responsibility. I used to get a sharps bin on prescription which can then be taken to pharmacy or back to GP. I now contact the local authority's waste contractor periodically. So check what's going on in your area...


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## DeusXM (Sep 18, 2012)

> The BD Safeclip stores the sharp bits and you can then dispose of the remainder of the needles in ordinary waste. When the BD clipper is full you can just throw that away in your general waste.



This. 100 times this. It makes so much more sense than having some sharps box like a junkie that you need to cart to and from a GP surgery according to their own timetable.


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## robofski (Sep 18, 2012)

I like the BD safe Clip too, but I'm still not comfortable putting what's left in the general waste,  The inner part of the neddle can still stick you if it's caught straight on.


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## Northerner (Sep 18, 2012)

robofski said:


> I like the BD safe Clip too, but I'm still not comfortable putting what's left in the general waste,  The inner part of the neddle can still stick you if it's caught straight on.



What you can do is put the remainders in a used bleach bottle or similar and tape up the stopper - this can then be thrown in general waste (not recyclable though!)


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## robofski (Sep 18, 2012)

I generally take all mine home with me in a bottle of some description and then put all the inner parts in the sharps bin and the outers in for recycling, even a small bin now lasts me months (I think it was a post by you that got me doing that). I've not had to figure out a way to get rid of the sharps bin yet, I seem to remember my DSN saying I had to take it to a particular place, but as I've only got one full one and one almost full not bothered about it yet.


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