When someone has diabetes, checking and treating his or her blood sugar is very important. For many people, this means using lancets to prick the finger to check the blood and possibly using insulin needles, pens, auto-injectors, infusion sets, or syringes to treat an elevated blood sugar. What we do with these sharps after we have used them is very important!
There are rules and regulations that guide how to safely dispose of sharps used at home. These guidelines vary depending on where you live.
While state guidelines differ slightly from each other, no matter where you live, it’s important to keep these tips in mind:
- Sharps should never be recycled or thrown into the trash, toilet, or sink.
- Sharps that are very small or that retract after use should still be disposed of like other sharps.
- Do not try to remove, bend, break, or recap needles.
- Keep sharps disposal containers out of reach of children and pets.
- Put used sharps in a heavy-duty plastic container. When the container is ¾ full, put the lid on, seal with duct tape, and label.
- You can get a Health Canada-approved sharps disposal container via your local pharmacy, healthcare provider, medical supply company, or online.
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If you are not using a Health Canada-approved sharps disposal container, it is recommended to use a heavy-duty plastic household container, such as a laundry detergent container.
- This household container should be leak-resistant, remain upright during use, have a tight-fitting and puncture-resistant lid, and be properly labeled to warn others of what is inside the container.
- Do not reuse sharps disposal containers.