Sharps and Medical Waste

Needles and syringes, often referred to as sharps, should not be placed in the garbage, recycling containers, or down the toilet. Sharps are defined as having the potential to puncture or lacerate. These include syringes with needles, detached needles, and disposable lancets. Because they are used for medical purposes, or may have come in contact with garbage or wastewater, sharps may carry infectious diseases and can pose a danger to solid waste workers or anyone who accidentally comes in contact with them.

PLEASE NOTE: The SWA does NOT accept sharps or biomedical waste at any facility.
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Sharps 6315z

Home Users

Do not place sharps in the garbage or recycling.
Florida Health Palm Beach County has a Sharps Depository program specifically for home users. For information and drop-off locations, call the Florida Health Palm Beach County 's Biomedical Waste Section at 561-837-5900.
  
Current Florida Health Palm Beach County sharps exchange locations:

Exchanger
Address
Phone
Jupiter Auxiliary Health Center  6405 Indiantown Road in Jupiter
 561-746-6751
West Palm Beach Health Center  1150 45th St. in West Palm Beach
 561-514-5300 
C.L. Brumback Health Center  38754 State Road 80 in Belle Glade
561-996-1600 
Lantana / Lake Worth Health Center  1250 Southwinds Drive in Lantana
 561-547-6800
Delray Beach Health Center  225 S. Congress Ave. in Delray Beach
 561-274-3100

For more information on sharps disposal, please view the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Florida Health Palm Beach County 
publications on the right hand side of this page.

Some pharmacies also have mail-back programs available.

Commercial

Disposal of commercially generated medical waste, such as from doctors, dentists, veterinarians offices, and other medical facilities and labs is regulated by State and local ordinance. Contact Florida Health Palm Beach County for a list of licensed medical waste transporters and waste treatment facilities.

Florida Health Palm Beach County Brochure

  1. PBC Sharps Brochure (PDF)

Other Resources

  1. EPA Needle Brochure (PDF)
  2. EPA Needle Options (PDF)