Environmental Services
Sharp Disposal
Orange County residents have several options available to comply with a state law that took effect September 1, 2008 that prohibits the disposal of medical sharps waste in household trash.
The change in the California Health and Safety Code makes it illegal to dispose of home-generated sharps waste is household trash or recycling containers, and requires that all sharps waste be transported to a collection center in an approved sharps container. The code also defines "home‐generated sharps waste" as hypodermic needles, pen needles, intravenous needles, lancets, and other devices that are used to penetrate the skin for the delivery of medications derived from a household, including a multifamily residence or household.
Household sharps users who already use an approved disposal option other than putting the sharps into the trash do not need to make any changes to comply with the law. Information about city-sponsored programs can be found on city websites or through a resource list available on the Health Care Agency website at http://ochealthinfo.com/regulatory/medwaste_home.htm. The County’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers are open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (closed major holidays and rainy days). The centers are located as follows:
|
|
More information about the Household Hazardous Waste Collections centers is available on the OC Waste and Recycling website at www.oclandfills.com.
DISPOSAL OF EXPIRED AND UNUSED MEDICATION
Most medicines used in a home are not considered hazardous waste. Although the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center will accept medications, they can also be disposed of in the trash after being secured in durable packaging. Specific disposal instructions can be found at www.oclandfills.com. Click on Hazardous Waste.