? How is everyone disposing of their sharps?

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Ana & Frosty (GA)

Ana & Frosty (GA)

Member Since 2018
For the last 6 months, I've been buying a small sharps containers they sell at CVS ($7), and mailing them for $20 to get properly disposed of. I was wondering if anyone else gets a better deal on this process somewhere else? Trying to figure out how I can save some money with this expensive cat. :cat:
 
Pharmacies here are obligated to take them in the right container but they're just miserable about it. Mine go in a Maxx litter bucket to my vet of 13 years. I love surprising her new staff with a years worth.
If you're thinking about snipping the needles off there is a special tool for that. Do NOT use regular pliers.
 
Don't get caught.
As for me I turn on every light in the house on Earth Day. Everyone acts like they care, then jump back in their Hummers.
Why can my wife say "That's different" and I can't? Not fair. :confused:
 
my state (MD) allows for them to be thrown in trash in sharp containers or in sealed and labelled milk/detergent jugs. however, uncomfortable with throwing then into trash so i take mine out of sharp container and transfer them into gallon milk jug and give them to our vet to be disposed of properly..

Noah & me (GA) said:
:( Ana!!! What do you do with old batteries?
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best buy has a place in entrance where you can drop off batteries.
 
Sylvie said:
my state (MD) allows for them to be thrown in trash in sharp containers or in sealed and labelled milk/detergent jugs. however, uncomfortable with throwing then into trash so i take mine out of sharp container and transfer them into gallon milk jug and give them to our vet to be disposed of properly..



best buy has a place in entrance where you can drop off batteries.
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Oooh, I wonder if they have it in NJ! Good to know if so. I honestly don't remember the last time I threw away a battery... everything is chargeable nowadays. Nothing I have needs batteries (I don't watch TV). lol
 
My vet supplied me with a v small sharps container. It sort of clicks open you pop the needle in a hole click it back down and voila. It holds 1500 needles I think they said. It’s a great bit of kit.
 

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Some cities in California have hazardous waste disposal. Mine takes my needles as long as they are in some sort of container, even a detergent bottle works. They'll also give you a battery bin to save your batteries rather than throwing them out and they have an area where you can pick up random items like Roundup and other solvents that were dropped off. I believe our Sheriff's departments will take sharps for free too. Check your city website and see if they have anything similar.
You can order large sharp bins off Amazon for about $10.
 
Noah & me (GA) said:
I don't want to suck all the air out of the room but isn't this all considered medical waste? It's not like finding a leg behind the hospital but here the fines are big$$$.
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No, the US (government) doesn’t care about the environment or the sanitation workers. It’s legal to dispose of these things in the garbage as long as they are in the “approved” container. My mind is just as blown as yours. I am going to continue to pay $20 to mail in my sharps containers then. I was hoping someone knew of a cheaper way to dispose of them in the environmentally friendly way... but clearly not. :banghead:
 
Stupid environment! (old man grunting noises)
When we used Maxx Litter in the blue plastic buckets my recycle bin got tagged one day. Turns out that particular color can't be handled by the local recyclers so these giant plastic pails go straight to the landfill. I really don't enjoy paying fees like $20 per tire when the time comes to buy new ones. There are some wooded areas behind our house meant for neighborhood use, wood chip trails, old mattresses, broken bottles. So I recycle an AA battery and then find a car battery at the edge of the duck pond. Just stupid. :banghead:
 
I originally just used a gallon water jug (reusable) for both my needles and my lancets. Ever since I found out about the needle clipper that Chris mentioned, I got one and I absolutely love it! Just clip the needle off, recap the syringe and throw in the garbage. I recap my lancets as well, but I still throw just those into my "biohazard" water jug. When full, I bring it to work with me (I work at a medical clinic) and throw in the biohazard bin for disposal. I actually looked up the guidelines and here in ND you can just throw the containers in the regular garbage as long as it's in a container. Dropping off at a local laboratory is a great idea, because I doubt we'd turn you away. I personally never have when patients bring their used syringes in.
 
Wow! I read a few posts in this thread and it sounds like a pain! I didn't even know some of you have to pay to dispose needles. I feel lucky now since my vet will just take the needles as is from me and dispose of them for me. I just put them in a plastic take-out container and give them to the vet assistant up front.
 
I just got a 2 gallon sharps container which comes with a return label for $75. That should last me 3-4 months hopefully.
I work at a hospital but I don’t think I’m allowed to just bring a bunch of used syringes into work. At least I wouldn’t even know where to drop them off.. We just have them in patients’ rooms. I doubt that the big company that owns our hospital would be cool with that.

I will try asking the vet though next time I take him, good idea. I just personally don’t feel comfortable throwing it into the trash, for multiple reasons. But that’s me.
 
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Ana and Frosty said:
For the last 6 months, I've been buying a small sharps containers they sell at CVS ($7), and mailing them for $20 to get properly disposed of. I was wondering if anyone else gets a better deal on this process somewhere else? Trying to figure out how I can save some money with this expensive cat. :cat:
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I use the little storage clipper thing. It's tiny, it holds about 1,000 needle tips. You just snip off the needle and it stays inside the clipper and you throw out the syringe in the trash. It's way easier and cheaper.
 
My vet said to clip off the needle into a small bottle (I use the container that strips come in.) , put the syringe in the garbage and tape up the needle container before putting it in the garbage. I put used lancets in a RX bottle,tape and toss in garbage.
 
Ana and Frosty said:
I work at a hospital
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This stuff is all incinerated along with used bandages and anything that scores 10 on the gross/disgusting scale. Make friends with someone in the facilities department, what you'd bring in would be a drop in the ocean. A $75 bucket? That seems pretty steep, are you stuck with it now and does the return label mean you're not getting it back? :banghead:
 
I re-cap the used syringes and put them in a laundry detergent bottle which I clearly mark 'SHARPS' and 'DO NOT RECYCLE' all over. When it is full, I cap the bottle and put in inside of a garbage bag with other garbage. This is per the method outlined as okay in my state.
 
I brought mine the my vet, with the little plastic thing back on the needle so no pokey's, and they told me to just throw them in the trash. Like you, it makes me uncomfortable to do that. I've heard you can take them to the local fire department too.
 
You can try calling local labs to help you dispose of them. (Labcorp, Quest Diagnostics, Dynacare, etc.) There's no guarantee that they will take your container. But since I work at one, I've just been throwing my sharps out with ours. Could save you a bit, if they say yes and you can make the trip.
 
Ana and Frosty said:
I just got a 2 gallon sharps container which comes with a return label for $75. That should last me 3-4 months hopefully.
I work at a hospital but I don’t think I’m allowed to just bring a bunch of used syringes into work. At least I wouldn’t even know where to drop them off.. We just have them in patients’ rooms. I doubt that the big company that owns our hospital would be cool with that.

I will try asking the vet though next time I take him, good idea. I just personally don’t feel comfortable throwing it into the trash, for multiple reasons. But that’s me.
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I'm in Canada and can't believe things are that different in the US :facepalm:, I bought the first sharps container from my pharmacy, then when I fill it up with used needles and lancets, I return it, and get another one for free. I would hate the idea of needles in the dump :(, I even put the cap and bottom plastic back on so it can all be disposed of properly. I understand not everyone gets their diabetic supplies from their pharmacy, but it's worth looking into.
 
Christie & Maverick said:
can't believe things are that different
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I'm with you Christie. I live near the Oak Ridges Moraine aquifer, it's disgusting to think what's buried above it. At the very least you can dig down and find newspapers from the 70's and at the worst are things that nature was never meant to take care of. For me it's one trip a year to the vet and I'm all done.
I'm no Angel, if I had a wood burning fireplace that thing wood be chugging away all winter long.
 
Noah & me (GA) said:
Sorry for the self righteous drivel, it's just one of those things.
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I’m with you. I’m a psycho when it comes to recycling - I recycle everything plastic and thankfully my town accepts every type. I even recycle the twist offs of lancets, and both insulin syringe caps. I just got the 2 gallon sharps container, and I’m thinking I might get the 3 gallon one next time. It comes with a shipping label so you mail it to them when it’s full, and the company says they do environmentally friendly recycling. I could never toss those things in the trash, I would feel terrible. So I have no choice but to pay $ to have them recycled.

Then again, I donate $15 every month to the world wildlife fund, and am currently spending my life’s savings to treat a stray cat’s Cushing’s ... so what does that tell you :facepalm::arghh::woot:
 
Wow Ana, you were flying over my head from the first day. You got educated about everything and soaked it all up instantly. Sometimes I see people whose cat pees in the corner and they just pack up and leave, either don't want help or just couldn't be bothered.
That tells me everything. Compassion is one thing, doing something about it is another. ;) :) :cool: :rolleyes:
 
Yes... bonkers. Picking through cat poo, special beds, travelling, the cat that won't get off your arm when you want to get out of bed.
Your gift is in the mail Ana. The Fizzishians Gide to Kats by Who Flung Poo. :rolleyes:
 
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