BD™ Sharps Disposal By Mail

More than a billion insulin syringes, needles, and lancets are used for diabetes care in the United States each year.

If they are not disposed of properly, these items, known as "sharps", can injure other people.

The rules and regulations regarding sharps disposal may be different in towns and counties around the country, so check with your local sanitation or health department.

BD offers a convenient option for safe needle disposal: BD™ Sharps Disposal by Mail.

It encompasses containment, storage, transportation, treatment, disposal and tracking of sharps, all in one package.

How BD™ Sharps Disposal by Mail works:

The BD™ Sharps Disposal by Mail can be purchased in your local pharmacy. The container holds up to 300 pen needles or lancets, or up to 100 insulin syringes. The kit includes a red wrapping bag and a postage-paid mailing box.
Put your used insulin syringes, pen needles and lancets into the container.
When the sharps container is full, seal it. Place it into the red bag. Then place the bag inside the mailing box.
Fill out the tracking form and keep a copy for your records.
Give the closed postage paid mailing box to your mail carrier or bring it to the post office.
When the mailing box reaches the treatment facility, the tracking form is scanned and a certificate of destruction is mailed back to you, confirming the destruction of your sharps container.

If you don't have access to BD™ Sharps Disposal by Mail, and your community does not have specific disposal rules, follow these guidelines:

Never throw loose sharps into the trash, whether at home or away from home.
Never flush sharps down the toilet.
Remove needles from insulin syringes and pen needle units using a BD Safe-Clip™ clipper device and put the rest of the syringe or pen needle in your BD™ Home Sharps Container. Don't recap or clip a needle that has been used by another person. This can lead to accidental needle sticks, which may cause serious infections. Don't attempt to remove the needle without the BD Safe-Clip™ clipper device because the needles could fall, fly off, or get lost and injure someone.
Put your used insulin syringes, pen needles, and lancets in a sharps container.
When your BD™ Home Sharps Container is full, seal it and check with your community how to dispose of it properly. If as a last resort, you choose to put it in a trash receptable, do not place it in a recycling bin, because insulin syringes, pen needles and lancets are not recyclable.
Keep this container away from children.
Never handle someone else's syringe unless a healthcare professional trains you in proper injection technique and disposal.
If you have any questions about disposal of insulin syringes, pen needles or lancets, call BD toll free: 1.888.BD CARES (232.2737).

For additional information on the availability of safe disposal programs in your area or for information on setting up a community disposal program, visit the Coalition for Safe Community Needle Disposal website at:

http://www.safeneedledisposal.org

EPA Guidelines for Sharps Disposal (PDF file)