Recently, a recycling center in Vermont was the unhappy recipient of a bottle full of needles for syringes. Luckily, no one was hurt, but it was a wake-up call for those of us who work in the trash business. This dangerous situation arose because someone did not understand proper management of needles. We want to keep Transfer Station employees and all sanitation workers healthy and safe. You can help us achieve that goal by managing your sharps properly.

The Problem: Sharps are syringes, lancets and other types of medical equipment that are used in the treatment of diabetes, allergies or other forms of home health care. Discarding loose sharps or syringes in the trash poses a risk to the people that collect and handle your garbage. Used sharps can pass on germs and diseases. Even a single needle stick from a contaminated sharp can cause diseases like Hepatitis B or HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

The Solution: First, contact your doctor to see if they can provide you with a disposal option for your sharps. If they can't, you should dispose of your home-generated sharps in the following way:

1. Place used needles and other sharps in a 2 liter (#1 plastic PETE) soda bottle. Keep the bottle capped when not in use.

2. When the bottle is full, cap it tightly and label it: WARNING: SHARPS! DO NOT RECYCLE!

3. Seal the bottle cap with heavy tape (duct tape works well for this purpose)

4. So they'll know to be extra careful, please call your garbage hauler to let them know before you place this container in the trash or make sure you notify the transfer station of the bottle when throwing it out.

PETE (#1) is recommended because it has been shown to be more puncture resistant than other types of plastic bottles. Check the bottom of the bottle for the #1 PETE chasing arrow symbol. The aforementioned rules apply to HOME GENERATED sharps only. Businesses (including doctors, home health care nurses, dentists, veterinarians, and tattoo parlors) which generate sharps or other medical wastes should contact the proper state or local authority for information on proper and legal management options.