Ben’s Pharmacy
60 Bowes Street Unit 102Parry Sound, ON(705) 746-4811Safe Sharps Handling and Disposal
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 or in person at no cost for community members, organizations and workplaces. Please contact us at harm.reduction@healthunit.ca.
Review and follow the steps for safe handling and disposing of a sharp.
If you find a sharp...
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.
Biohazard Container Pick-up Locations in the Parry Sound District
Biohazard Container Pick-up Locations in the Nipissing District
|
Canadian Addictions Treatment Pharmacy 456 Ferguson StreetNorth Bay, ON |
Harris Guardian Pharmacy 111 Main Street WestNorth Bay, ON |
|
North Bay Regional Pharmacy 50 College DriveNorth Bay, ON |
Northern Lights Remedy Rx 1-12006 Highway 17 EastSturgeon Falls, ON |
|
Rexall #34 Pharmacy 1205 Fisher StreetNorth Bay, ON |
Robinson’s Pharmasave 2547 Trout Lake RoadNorth Bay, ON |
|
Shoppers Drug Mart #664 267 Lakeshore DriveNorth Bay, ON |
Shoppers Drug Mart #1247 66 Josephine StreetNorth Bay, ON |
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).
Find most up to date locations for community sharps bins and Needle Syringe Program sites throughout Ontario at this link.
Please note that sharps disposal at our needle syringe programs is only to be utilized by those are using substances, or family and friends of those who are using substances. If you do not fall under this criteria, please utilize the other disposal options that are listed on the website (pharmacies, hazardous waste depots, and community sharps bins)
Needle Syringe Programs in the Parry Sound District
| Canadian Mental Health Association Muskoka- Parry Sound26 James Street Parry Sound, ON |
Canadian Mental Health Association Muskoka- Parry Sound 87 Main Street West Sundridge, ON |
| First Nations and Inuit Health Branch 74 James Street Parry Sound, ON |
Henvey Inlet First Nation Health Centre 354A Pickerel River Rd Pickerel, ON |
| North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit70 Joseph Street Parry Sound, ON |
Ontario Addiction Treatment Centre 32 James Street Parry Sound, ON |
Needle Syringe Programs in the Nipissing District
| AIDS Committee of North Bay & Area Suite 201 – 269 Main Street West North Bay, ON |
Pharmasave Marshall Park Pharmacy 524 Lakeshore Drive North Bay, ON |
| North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit 345 Oak Street West North Bay, ON |
The Right Path Counselling and Prevention Services – Giyak Moseng 58 Semo Road Sturgeon Falls, ON |
| Ontario Addiction Treatment Centre 456 Ferguson Street North Bay, ON |
West Nipissing General Hospital – The Alliance Centre 172 Ethel Street #3Sturgeon Falls, ON |
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)
Sharps Container Disposal Pharmacy Locations in the Parry Sound District
| Pharmacy | Maximum Quantity to Be Returned Per Visit | Type of Hard-Sided Container Returns Must Be In |
|---|---|---|
| Ben’s Pharmacy60 Bowes Street Unit 102Parry Sound, ON |
No limit |
Biohazard container
|
Sharps Container Disposal Pharmacy Locations in the Nipissing District
| Pharmacy | Maximum Quantity to Be Returned Per Visit | Type of Hard-Sided Container Returns Must Be In |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Addictions Treatment Pharmacy456 Ferguson StreetNorth Bay, ON |
No limit |
Biohazard container |
| Harris Guardian Pharmacy111 Main Street WestNorth Bay, ON |
No limit |
Biohazard container Other hard-sided container |
| Medical Pharmacy133 Main Street WestNorth Bay, ON |
No limit |
Biohazard container Other hard-sided container |
| North Bay Regional Pharmacy50 College Drive |
No limit – Within reason |
Biohazard container |
| Northern Lights Remedy Rx1-12006 Highway 17 EastSturgeon Falls, ON |
No limit |
Biohazard container |
| Mattawa IDA Pharmacy300 Main StreetMattawa, ON |
No limit |
Biohazard container Other hard-sided container |
| Rexall #34 Pharmacy1205 Fisher StreetNorth Bay, ON |
No limit – Within reason |
Biohazard container |
| Robinson’s Pharmasave2547 Trout Lake RoadNorth Bay, ON |
No limit |
Biohazard container Other hard-sided container |
| Shoppers Drug Mart #124766 Josephine StreetNorth Bay, ON |
No limit – Within reason |
Biohazard container Other hard-sided container |
| Shoppers Drug Mart #664267 Lakeshore DriveNorth Bay, ON |
No limit |
Biohazard container Other hard-sided container |
*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.
Please find most up to date locations for community sharps bins and Needle Syringe Program sites throughout Ontario at this link.
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.
Bathroom 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.