Community Sharps Collection & Regulated Medical Waste

New York Safe Sharps Collection Program

All hospitals and nursing homes in New York State are mandated by law to accept home-generated sharps as a free community service through their sharps collection programs. In addition, pharmacies, health clinics, community-based organizations, mobile van programs, public transportation facilities, housing projects, police stations, waste transfer stations and other venues have become settings for safe sharps and offer syringe collection drop boxes (or "kiosks") to help facilitate the safe collection of used sharps. For information, please link it to: https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/aids/consumers/prevention/needles_syringes/sharps/

To learn how to safely dispose of used sharps including needles, lancets and syringes click on the following publications:

For a mobile friendly locator tool, visit The POINT thepointny.org

The Point is a New York State specific mobile friendly locater tool for harm reduction materials and services and will help you to find:

  • sterile syringes with no prescription;
  • disposal sites to drop-off your used syringes and unwanted medications;
  • pharmacies to get Naloxone - the drug that reverses opioid overdose; and
  • free HCV testing.

Regulated Medical Waste Program

New York State Department of Health's (DOH), Wadsworth Center and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) jointly administer New York State's Regulated Medical Waste Program. For additional information, click the following link: https://www.health.ny.gov/facilities/waste/.

For questions, contact the Division of Hospitals and Clinics at 518-402-1004 or email https://apps.health.ny.gov/surveyd8/email-hospdtc

Disposal of Medical Waste for Private Practitioners

Per 6 NYCRR Part 364.1(b)(17), private practitioners may self-transport regulated medical waste to hospitals they are affiliated with (service or practice at) providing they have a written contract with the hospital to accept the waste and the private practitioner has registered with this agency to self-transport. The entity must reregister each year. The maximum that may be transported is 50 pounds per month from one location. The waste must be packaged, labeled and marked in accordance with 6 NYCRR Part 364 and accompanied by a NYS medical waste tracking form: http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/medwste.pdf.

For additional information, contact the Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) Division of Materials Management, Bureau of Permitting and Planning at 518-402-8678.

Safe Medication Disposal for Households