People who use hypodermic needles in their homes need to find alternative ways to dispose of them, the result of a new law banning needles in trash cans that takes effect Monday.
The new law was passed in April and forbids hypodermic needles, also called "sharps," from being thrown away in residential garbage, including recycling and green waste bins, according to a news release by Waste Management Inc.
California is one of the first states to ban hypodermic needles from residential garbage.
Beginning Monday, needles must be transported in an approved container and managed by a hazardous waste facility, medical waste generator facility or a facility that manages a needle mail-back program, the release states.
Improper needle disposal puts sanitation workers and the public at risk of needle sticks and infection, the release states.
According to Waste Management officials, more than 9 million Americans each year legally use hypodermic needles to treat numerous medical conditions, resulting in more than 3 billion needles winding up in trash or recycling containers.
Several California cities participate in hypodermic needle mail-back programs, which provide people with a postage-prepaid shipping container that the U.S. Postal Service to a certified medical waste facility, the release states.
Waste Management has teamed up with another company, Sharps Compliance, to provide a needle mail-back program for customers. There is a fee for the service, said Justin Caporusso, a spokesman for Waste Management.
Supporters hope municipalities will offer the program to residents as part of their overall waste programs, he said. Some cities in Southern California have begun to offer the program, including Santa Ana, Laguna Beach and Mission Viejo, Caporusso said.
Some pharmacies also are going to offer drop-off locations, he said, though no further details were available.
For more information about the Waste Management/Sharps Compliance mail-back program, go to www.wastemd.com.
Call The Bee's Niesha Lofing, (916) 321-1270.
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