Editor’s Note: Our friends at the Product Stewardship Institute recently helped the state of Oklahoma solve its medical sharps disposal dilemma. They graciously agreed to share their lessons learned and actions you can take to handle medical sharps safely in your community.
Medical sharps, such as needles and syringes, are convenient devices used by millions to safely self-inject medications outside of healthcare settings, often to treat conditions like diabetes. More than 8 million US residents are prescribed self-injecting medications, generating as many as 3 billion needles per year.
Although medical sharps are life-saving devices for millions of Americans, when needles are flushed or trashed, they pose grave health and safety risks to residents, sanitation workers, sewage treatment plant operators, waste management personnel, and hospitality workers.
Finding…