Safe sharps disposal Te ākirihanga haumaru o ngā taputapu koi
'Sharps' is a medical term for devices with sharp points or edges that can puncture or cut skin, such as needles.
On this page
Types of sharps
- Needles — hollow needles used to inject medication under the skin.
- Syringes — with attached needles.
- Lancets — short blades with 2 edges, used to get drops of blood for testing. Lancets are also called fingerstick devices. They are commonly used in diabetes treatment.
- Auto-injectors — pre-filled syringes with attached needles. Auto-injectors are used to self-inject medication like insulin.
Always place loose needles and other sharps into approved sharps containers. Never flush them down the toilet. Do not place them in household or public rubbish bins or recycling bins.
Risks of sharps
Used needles and other sharps are dangerous if they are not disposed of safely. They can injure people and spread infections that cause serious health conditions.
The most common infections that can be spread by used sharps are:
- hepatitis B
- hepatitis C
- HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
How to dispose of sharps
Take safely packaged used sharps to your local pharmacy for disposal.
Different pharmacies have different rules about the packaging you can use. When you get your medication from your pharmacy, talk to a staff member about how to bring your used sharps back. They may:
- accept your sharps in a suitable household container (they will tell you which ones are safe to use)
- sell you a yellow or purple sharps container.
It is important to always dispose of sharps safely. Use suitable containers wherever you are. This includes:
- home
- work
- school
- travelling (including public places such as hotels, parks and restaurants).