Sharps disposal

Lorna · #1 (**permalink**) 07-19-2006, 01:21 PM

Hi

Decided I should really find a safer way of disposing of needles rather than just throwing them in the bin. Does anyone know if you can buy sharps boxes in the UK? Is it then OK, just to lock the thing and throw it in the bin?

Thanks

Lorna

SueM · #2 (**permalink**) 07-19-2006, 01:29 PM

Lorna,
You can have a sharps box precribed to you from your Dr.
Dif areas of the UK have dif rules for disposal of sharps your surgery will tell you what they are.
Hope that helps.

sofaraway · #3 (**permalink**) 07-19-2006, 02:48 PM

Sue is right avaliable on prescription. I really must find out what I'm suppossed to do with it when it's full though.

Keezheekoni · #4 (**permalink**) 07-19-2006, 06:59 PM

Don't know if it's the same there, but here in Washington we can just take the sharps container in to the hospital and they'll dispose of it for us. There are also a lot of clinics in the area that will take them for you too... (Of course, again, this is in the USA.)

Rikki

klpants · #5 (**permalink**) 07-20-2006, 02:04 AM

Sharps disposal in the UK is absolutely ****!

I've tried getting my bins disposed of by the doctors GP, they wouldn't take them, to the pharmacy, they wouldn't take them, to the hospital, they wouldn't take them neither, and noone knew who was supposed to dispose of them!!
Then I found out it's your council who organise pickup of the sharps bins. So I called my council and it took me 5 phone calls! and 6 weeks! for the bins to eventually be picked up outside my house. Felt like some kind of crminal!

I've now bought a needle clipper, I bought it off ebay USA, so I just clip the needle and throw away in the normal garbage.
No Lorna, you're not supposed to throw the sharps container away in the garbage, supoposeldy you could be prosecuted!!? (it's like but if noone can own up to the repsonsibilty of disposing the bins then what can you do!)

So, if you have a sharps dispoal bin contact your council. But I would reccomend a needle clipper, link below to one, less hassle and time wasting!

http://tinyurl.com/jmgqz

Happy disposing!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rikki

Don't know if it's the same there, but here in Washington we can just take the sharps container in to the hospital and they'll dispose of it for us. There are also a lot of clinics in the area that will take them for you too... (Of course, again, this is in the USA.)

Rikki

SueM · #6 (**permalink**) 07-20-2006, 04:23 AM

You can even get a needle clipper on prescription so why buy them?

klpants · #7 (**permalink**) 07-20-2006, 04:25 AM

Oh! Didn't know that! Will ask my doc for one next time, thanks Sue!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SueM

You can even get a needle clipper on prescription so why buy them?

Cyborg · #8 (**permalink**) 07-20-2006, 04:32 AM

You can drop them at fire departments here in the U.S.

Simon · #9 (**permalink**) 07-20-2006, 04:39 AM

My last GP would take them but I don't know about my new one yet. The council is legally obliged to take them but I can well imagine it's a nightmare finding out how.

Alene · #10 (**permalink**) 07-20-2006, 08:48 AM

In Canada only specific pharmacies take the containers.

Has anyone heard of the device that sort of zaps the end of your needles? I think it melts them... or am I crazy?

aeromarv · #11 (**permalink**) 07-20-2006, 01:39 PM

I've used needle "clippers" for years. The only ones I have ever used are made by Becton and Dickinson. Last time I bought a whole case of em.

You simply insert the needle into a small hole and "clip" or cut the needle off. It leaves a very small piece of the needle attached to the syringe, maybe 1/8" and it is rather dull.

http://www.bddiabetes.com/us/yourins...wto_needle.asp

Check on you local laws though. Most places you still are supposed to place all components in a sharps container.