Welcome to City of Riverview, MI

Household Generated “Sharps” Medical Waste Disposal

Household generated sharps, lancets, needles and syringes are required by Michigan law (MCL 324.8905) to be disposed of in the proper manner.

Check with your local fire station to see if they have a collection program available in your community.

Acceptable Disposal Method:

Household Trash:

Place the used objects (point-first) in a hard plastic container with a screw-on lid. An empty liquid laundry detergent bottle is highly recommended.
Label “DO NOT RECYCLE” in letters not less than one inch.
Store container with the cap screwed on at all times.
When the container is half full, it must be disposed of.
Reinforce the lid with heavy-duty tape.
Place the container in your household trash or take to a facility that has a collection program.

Do Not:

Place containers with sharp objects in a recycling bin.
Never place loose sharp objects in the garbage.
Sharp objects in a BioHazard container are treated as medical waste and can not be placed in your household trash. These containers must be taken to facility which accepts medical waste.
Do not place sharps in glass or clear containers.
Do not flush.

Resources:

Coalition for Safe Community Needle Disposal
www.safeneedledisposal.org

Department of Environmental Quality - Medical Waste Regulatory Program Information
www.michigan.gov/deq (Select “Waste” “Medical Waste”)

Department of Environmental Quality - Sharps Collection Programs for Michigan Residents
www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/whm-stsw-sharps-collection-list_196524_7.pdf

Medical Sharps Disposal