Needles and Sharps

Recommended disposal options

Check with your healthcare provider

Check with your healthcare provider to see if they collect sharps for disposal.

Destroy at home

Devices or containers with mechanisms that bend, break, incinerate (destroy with high heat), or shear needles are called sharps needle destruction devices.

A destruction device that incinerates needles and lancets can be used at home to destroy sharps immediately after use. Once a needle or lancet is destroyed, the remaining syringe and melted metal can be safely disposed of in the garbage (not a recycling container).

A needle cutter that automatically stores the cut needles is also useful while away from home. A needle clipper that stores clipped needles should be disposed of at a sharps collection site or through a mail-back program.

Use a mail-in program

Use a mail-in program for syringes and needles.

Stericycle, Inc., 651-644-1480 or 1-800-355-8773
Sharps, Inc., 1-800-772-5657
GRP Medical Services, 1-800-207-0976
MedPro Disposal, 1-888-641-6131

Hennepin County drop-off facilities

See restrictions and instructions below:

Drop-off facilities accept:

Sharps (needles, lancets, used epi-pens, and syringes) from households only.

Locations

Fee

No charge

Materials preparation

1. Prepare your needles and sharps

Store in a rigid, puncture-resistant, plastic container with a screw-on lid. Examples include empty laundry detergent bottles with screw-on lids. You can also purchase a sharps disposable container from a pharmacy. Do NOT use a glass container.

Label the empty container, "Do not recycle: Household sharps."

Put used needles into the container point-first. Note: Do not put unused medicines contained in sharps (epi-pens) in your container.

Only fill your container half full of needles and sharps.

Keep the lid screwed on the container to prevent spills.

2. Dispose of needles and sharps at the county's drop-off facilities

Your sharps must be in a proper container and accessible from the front seat of your car. Follow staff directions. Staff will roll the drop-off bin to your window. You will be responsible for placing your sharps container into the drop-off bin.

Note: Sharps will not be accepted if not in a rigid, puncture-resistant, plastic container with a screw-on lid. Staff will not handle needles and sharps.

Drop-off facilities do not accept:

Hennepin County does not accept medicines or unused medicines contained in sharps (epi-pens) at the county drop-off facilities. You should take un-used medicine to a medicine drop-box found at a number of locations throughout Hennepin County.

Hennepin County does not accept needles and sharps from businesses -- which includes healthcare facilities, pharmacies, pharmaceutical representatives, doctor's offices and veterinary clinics.

Green Disposal Guide