Knowing how to safely pick up and dispose of a sharp helps create safer spaces for everyone in our communities, including yourself, children and pets. It also helps to prevent the spread of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis.
On This Page:
- How to pick up and dispose of a sharp
- Where to get a container for your sharps
- Where to drop off a sharps container for disposal
How do I pick up and dispose of a sharp safely?
Get trained! Safe Sharps Handling and Disposal training is offered online at no cost for community members, organizations and workplaces. Register today.
1. Before you begin:
- Always assume that blood and body fluids are infectious.
- Never insert fingers or reach into a hard-sided puncture-proof container (e.g., biohazard container, pop bottle, laundry container with a lid).
- Cover cuts, rashes or broken skin.
- Wear gloves when handling possibly contaminated blood or bodily fluids.
- Do not eat or drink in an area where you are handling or disposing of sharps.
- Do not recap, bend or break needles.
- If you find unopened sharps or needles in the community, or unopened sharps mixed with other used drug equipment and sharps, do not sort through to pick out what is used and what is not. Since it may be difficult to determine which packages are opened, ripped or empty, it is suggested that all opened and unopened sharps, such as needles, be handled and discarded by following the instructions on this page.
- Dispose of hard-sided puncture-proof containers (e.g., biohazard container, pop bottle, laundry container with a lid) when the content reaches the full line.
2. Gather and prepare equipment.
Gather a hard-sided container (e.g., biohazard container, pop bottle, laundry container with lid), puncture-proof or disposable gloves, and tongs. Place the container on flat, stable surface.
3. Pick up the sharp(s) and place it into a hard-sided container.
- Put on puncture-proof or disposable gloves, if available.
- Using tongs, pick up the sharps one at a time. If you do not have tongs, pick up the sharps one at a time by the shaft/barrel (if it is a needle). Keep your free hand out of the way
- Place sharp into the container with the sharp end pointing down.
- Secure the lid of the hard-sided container (e.g., biohazard container, pop bottle, laundry container with a lid).
4. Wash hands and clean equipment
- Remove and dispose of gloves into the garbage.
- If puncture-proof gloves or tongs were used, wipe them down with a disinfectant wipe and allow to air dry.
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
5. Dispose of the sharp(s).
- Place the container in a community sharps bin or bring it to a local needle syringe program or pharmacy (see below).
6. Report any minor malfunctions of sharps.
Video Tutorial
Video courtesy of Southwestern Public Health. See below for disposal options in the Nipissing and Parry Sound Districts.
Picking up and Dropping Off Sharps Containers
Where can I pick up a hard-sided container?
You can get hard-sided containers from home (such as a pop bottle or laundry container with a lid), or pick up a free biohazard container from a participating pharmacy in the Nipissing or Parry Sound district (listed below). These pharmacies distribute biohazard containers to:
- general community members
- people using needles for diagnosed health issues (e.g., diabetes)
- people using needles or drug equipment for substance use
- community organizations and workplaces (e.g., warming centre, gas station, convenience store)
Please check with each pharmacy about the number of biohazard containers that can be picked up free-of-charge per visit.
For Ontario residents only: Due to supply chain issues, sharps container shortages might be encountered at your local participating pharmacies. Please call your local pharmacy for more information.
If your local pharmacy is experiencing a sharps container shortage, you can visit any community sharps bin for your disposal needs.
Other pharmacies in the Nipissing and Parry Sound districts may also offer free biohazard containers.
Where can I dispose of sharps containers?
Sharps in hard-sided containers (e.g., biohazard container, pop bottle, laundry container with a lid) can be dropped off for disposal at a number of places across the Nipissing and Parry Sound districts. These include:
Sharps should not be discarded in the garbage or recycling bins. Do not flush sharps down the toilet, and keep sharps out of reach of children and pets.
Needle Syringe Programs
Needle syringe programs have been proven to reduce the spread of infection without increasing drug use. Needle syringe program sites provide safer drug use equipment and offer disposal of used needles and other biohazardous items (e.g., used glass pipes).
Participating Pharmacies
The following pharmacies provide free disposal of used sharps. This includes returns by:
- general community members
- people using needles for diagnosed health issues (e.g., diabetes)
- people using needles or drug equipment for substance use
- community organizations and workplaces (e.g., warming centre, gas station, convenience store)
Other pharmacies in the Nipissing and Parry Sound districts may also offer sharps disposal.
Hazardous Waste Depots
Some communities have hazardous waste depots that provide free disposal of used sharps for community members. Hazardous waste depots in our Health Unit region that offer this service include:
North Bay Hazardous Waste Depot112 Patton Street, North Bay, ON
(705) 474-0400 ext. 2333
The MacFarlane Street Transfer Station at 57 MacFarlane Street, Parry Sound, accepts household hazardous waste year round from residents in the following townships:
- Archipelago
- Carling
- McDougall
- McKellar
- Parry Sound
- Seguin
- Whitestone
For more information, contact the Transfer Station at (705)-746-2101.
Note: Hazardous waste depots do not accept biohazardous waste from commercial businesses, institutes, industries or any other establishment that is not considered a residential household.
Community Sharps Bins
A community sharps bin is a large metal container that looks similar to a mailbox but is a specific colour, has a biohazard symbol on it and is labelled for sharps, including needle disposal. Community sharps bins provide 24 hours, 7 days a week access to safe sharps disposal. Bins are operational all year round, and offer greater accessibility for sharps disposal.
A biohazard bin is placed inside the locked, tamper-proof and child-proof bin. When the bin is full and needs to be replaced, the inner biohazard bin is removed from the container and exchanged with an empty one.
The following items can go in a community sharps bin:
- All types of needles and syringes
- Glass pipes
- Glass bowls
- Other loose sharps
- Hard-sided containers containing any sharps (e.g., biohazard container, pop bottle, laundry container with a lid)
Please do not put garbage in the community sharps bin. This includes other substance use paraphernalia not listed above (e.g., tourniquets and wrappers). Please throw these items into the garbage can located near the bin.
North Bay Community Counselling Centre361 McIntyre Street EastNorth Bay, ONAIDS Committee of North Bay & AreaBathroom Wall-mounted Sharps Containers
Biohazard waste containers can be found at a wide variety of locations, organizations and workplaces throughout the Nipissing and Parry Sound districts. These containers are often located in public washrooms and provide for safe disposal of individual/single sharps.