What do I do with the sharps?

Okay, the Trimix is working well, so now I have the used syringes to deal with. I know the Stericycle sells a returnable container, but it seems pricey. What do you guys do?

I use a liquid laundry detergent bottle. Takes a long time to fill, but is strong enough, and has a screw top. I chunk it in the trash. My diabetic neighbor suggested that route, as the pharmacy started selling packets to send them back. Once upon a time they took them back free. I'm cheap, and won't be paying.

(And yes, it is legal to dispose of them in this manner in my town - 142)

Regulations covering sharps disposal vary by state. Google your state name and sharps disposal and you should get several links with legal disposal procedures. Some cities will also list the state regulations and or local preferences on their websites.

In Denver Colorado, you can put the sharps in the trash if they are in a strong sealed container (like a bleach bottle) and labeled "sharps" or "biohazard". Colorado does prefer that the sharps be taken/sent to a disposal facility; however, it does allow for proper disposal in the trash.

After an off the record discussion and unofficial approval (wink, wink) with/from my Urologist, I started bringing my used syringes with me to my doctor appointments. When I'm waiting alone in the examination room, I take the sharps out of my coat and I drop in the biohazard syringe receptacle. There is mostly likely such a syringe receptacle in every examination room and hospital room in the US. Since my urologist and PCP share the same clinic building there are many opportunities during the course of the year to dispose of my syringes. I never have more than a handful of used sharps at home, which I have recapped and store in a Tupperware container. I figure this is the safest and cheapest method for disposal.

Post Edited (Fuelguy51) : 6/23/2014 9:22:14 AM (GMT-6)

In my state, California, sharps are consider hazardous and can't be disposed of in household trash in anyway. They have to go to an approved drop off point. The clinic I go to has a sharps drop off point near the pharmacy (same kind of sharps box you see in the doc's office) and there is now charge.

My pharmacy took them back until they merged with another chain. Then they started selling boxes that you had to mail to a center (and added postage). That was when I started investigating the trash.

My doc won't take them (they don't want "unknown" sources), nor the uro. I could sneak them into Cabela's (they have a box in the men's room because an employee is diabetic).

So the trash it is.