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Our free, online training sessions are open to community members and organizations who want to contribute to a safer, cleaner community without causing harm to themselves or others.
Register in advance to attend one of our upcoming training sessions, and learn how to safely pick up and dispose of sharps with confidence.
- Tuesday, April 28, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, April 30, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Knowing how to safely pick up and dispose of a sharp helps keep everyone in our community safe, including you, children and pets.
Safe disposal also helps prevents the spread of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis.
To support community safety, we:
- Work with community partners to install community sharps bins
- Offer free public education on how to safely handle and dispose of a sharp
- Provide biohazard containers for clients to safely dispose of used needles and other harm reduction equipment.
If you find a sharp:
Review and follow the steps for safe handling and disposing of a sharp.
You can use a hard-sided container from home (such as a pop bottle or laundry detergent container with a lid) or pick up a free biohazard container from a participating pharmacy.
If the sharp is on public property and you are not comfortable handling it, please call your municipality's Public Works department.
If the sharp is on private property, it is the responsibility of private property owners (or landlords) to discard them. There is currently not a phone number to call for help with sharps found on private property.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a sharp? |
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A sharp is any object that can puncture or cut someone or something. Examples of sharps include:
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Where can I get supplies to help with safe sharps cleanup? |
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Tongs, disposable gloves, and disinfectant wipes are optional and may be purchased at a local retail store. When picking up a sharp, you will need a hard-sided, puncture-resistant container. You can get a biohazard container at participating pharmacies or use an empty pop bottle or laundry detergent container with a lid instead. Participating pharmacies distribute biohazard containers to:
Please check with each pharmacy about the number of biohazard containers that can be picked up free-of-charge per visit. Biohazard Container Pick-Up Locations in Parry Sound DistrictBen's Pharmacy60 Bowes Street, Unit 102 Parry Sound, ON Biohazard Container Pick-Up Location in Nipissing DistrictCanadian Addictions Treatment Pharmacy456 Ferguson Street North Bay, ON Harris Guardian Pharmacy111 Main Street West North Bay, ON North Bay Regional Pharmacy50 College Drive North Bay, ON Northern Lights Remedy Rx1-12006 Highway 17 East Sturgeon Falls, ON Rexall #34 Pharmacy1205 Fisher Street North Bay, ON Robinson's Pharmasave2547 Trout Lake Road North Bay, ON Shoppers Drug Mart #664267 Lakeshore Drive North Bay, ON Shoppers Drug Mart #124766 Josephine Street North Bay, ON |
How do I pick up a sharp safely? |
1. Before you begin:
2. Gather and prepare equipment.Gather a hard-sided, puncture-proof container (e.g., biohazard container, pop bottle, laundry detergent container with lid). Place the container on flat, stable surface. You may also choose to use tongs, disposable gloves, or disinfectant wipes, but these items are optional. 3. Pick up the sharp(s) and place it into a hard-sided container.
4. Wash hands and clean equipment
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What safe sharps disposal options are available in the Health Unit region? |
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Once a sharp has been safely placed in a hard-sided, puncture-proof container, it can be dropped off at several locations across the Nipissing and Parry Sound districts, including pharmacies and community sharps disposal bins. Sharps Container Disposal Pharmacy Locations in the Parry Sound DistrictBen's Pharmacy60 Bowes Street, Unit 102 Parry Sound, ON *Sharps must be returned in a biohazard container. Sharps Container Disposal Pharmacy Locations in the Nipissing DistrictCanadian Addictions Treatment Pharmacy456 Ferguson Street North Bay, ON *Sharps must be returned in a biohazard container. Harris Guardian Pharmacy111 Main Street West North Bay, ON *Sharps can be returned in a biohazard container or other hard-sided container. Mattawa IDA Pharmacy300 Main Street Mattawa, ON *Sharps can be returned in a biohazard container or other hard-sided container. Medical Pharmacy133 Main Street West North Bay, ON *Sharps can be returned in a biohazard container or other hard-sided container. North Bay Regional Pharmacy50 College Drive North Bay, ON *Sharps must be returned in a biohazard container. Northern Lights Remedy Rx1-12006 Highway 17 East Sturgeon Falls, ON *Sharps must be returned in a biohazard container. Rexall #34 Pharmacy1205 Fisher Street North Bay, ON *Sharps must be returned in a biohazard container. Robinson's Pharmasave2547 Trout Lake Road North Bay, ON *Sharps can be returned in a biohazard container or other hard-sided container. Shoppers Drug Mart #664267 Lakeshore Drive North Bay, ON *Sharps can be returned in a biohazard container or other hard-sided container. Shoppers Drug Mart #124766 Josephine StreetNorth Bay, ON *Sharps can be returned in a biohazard container or other hard-sided container. Community Sharps Disposal BinsA community sharps bin is a large metal container that looks like a mailbox. It usually has a biohazard symbol on it and is clearly labelled for sharps disposal. These bins are available 24/7, all year round, to make safe sharps disposal easy and accessible.
What can go in a community sharps bin:
What not to put in a community sharps bin:Please do not put garbage or other drug-use items not listed above (such as tourniquets or wrappers) into the bin. These should go in the garbage can located nearby. Community Sharps Bin Locations in the Parry Sound District
Community Sharps Bin Locations in the Parry Sound DistrictNipissing First Nation
North Bay
West Nipissing
Needle Syringe ProgramNeedle 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). Bathroom Wall-mounted Sharps ContainersBiohazard 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. |
What if I accidentally injure myself with a sharp? |
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There is a very low risk of blood-borne infections from a sharp injury. The chance of getting HIV or Hepatitis C from a needle stick injury depends on several factors, such as:
Someone who does get injured by a used sharp should:
If the incident happened while working, contact your occupational health department and report the incident accordingly. |
Why does the Health Unit work with individuals who use needles? |
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We follow a harm reduction approach. This means we provide clients enough new, sterile needles so they can inject safely. The main goal of this program is to prevent the spread of diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C, and to reduce the risks linked to substance use in the community. We educate all clients how to safely dispose of needles and explain the risks of not doing so. We provide sharps containers and information about where they can dispose of their used supplies. We also encourage clients to return their used equipment directly to our program. |
If you would like more information, or have questions about sharps in the community, please contact us at 1-800-563-2808 ext. 5285 or harm.reduction@healthunit.ca.
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Drug-Related Stigma
Some language has become so common that we often don't realize its impact. Learn the four guidelines to non-stigmatizing language and find other ways you, your workplace and community can help reduce the stigma around drug use.
Information for Organizations and Workplaces
What do I include in a safe sharps handling and disposal kit? |
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Putting together a safe sharps handling and disposal kit is simple and low-cost. The items below are recommended, but you can include whatever is available to you. A kit may include:
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Purchasing Biohazard Containers |
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Biohazard containers come in a wide range of sizes, styles, and forms. Containers are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased from a number of distributors. For more information on where to purchase or pick-up biohazard containers, contact us at harm.reduction@healthunit.ca. |
My organization/ workplace has sharps containers. Where can we dispose of the full biohazard containers? |
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Organizations/workplaces may connect with one of the following companies to set-up an account for regular disposal services: |
Where can I get training for my staff? |
| We offer Safe Sharps Handling and Disposal training at no cost. Contact us today at harm.reduction@healthunit.ca to schedule a session for your staff. |
For additional information, or questions about sharps in the community, please contact us at 1-800-563-2808 ext. 5285 or harm.reduction@healthunit.ca.
