Departments & Services

Home Generated Medical Waste

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Includes:
Discarded needles and other sharps

Improper management of discarded needles and other sharps can pose a health risk to recycling and waste workers. For example, discarded needles may expose recycling and waste workers to potential needle stick injuries and potential infection when containers break open inside garbage trucks or needles are mistakenly sent to recycling facilities. Janitors and housekeepers also risk injury if loose sharps poke through plastic garbage bags. Used needles can transmit serious diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis.

 

Hospitals

Many hospitals in and around Somerset County participate in the New Jersey Hospital Association's Safe Syringe Program. Hospitals provide sharps containers to the home generators that the generator returns to the hospitals when the container is full. Contact the hospitals listed below for further information.


St. Peter's Hospital - New Brunswick
732-745-8600 ext. 8282
Safe Syringe Program

Somerset Medical Center - Somerville
908-685-2200 ext. 3258
Safe Syringe Program

Princeton Medical Center - Princeton
908-788-6100 ext. 6136
Joan Gillard

Hunterdon Medical Center - Flemington
908-788-6100 Ext. 6136 - Diabetic Dept.

Additional information about the Safe Syringe Disposal Program maybe obtained by contacting:

New Jersey Hospital Association
760 Alexander Road
Princeton, NJ 08543
609-273-4058

NOTE: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD NEEDLES EVER BE PUT IN ANY TYPE OF CONTAINER AND PLACED OUT FOR RECYCLING COLLECTIONS. THIS IS VERY HAZARDOUS TO ALL PERSONNEL HANDLING RECYCLING COLLECTIONS. DO NOT BRING NEEDLES TO HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTIONS!

Other Resources


Waste Management, a waste hauling company has a "Sharps Disposal by Mail" program. Participants are provided with an approved disposal container and mail full containers for disposal using US Postal Service. Interested parties can call Waste Management for prices & details at 877-WASTE-MD.