Why Diabetics Should Care About Proper Disposal of Sharps at Home

Key Takeaways

• Home needle disposal is necessary to prevent injuries, protect the environment, and avoid legal issues.
• Place sharps in an approved container and dispose of the container according to local regulations.
• Use technologies like an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor to reduce the amount of sharps you produce.

Living with diabetes doesn’t only take a toll on your physical health; it’s also mentally and emotionally exhausting. After checking your levels or taking your insulin, disposing of your sharps properly can feel like a hassle. You’re not alone!

One research study revealed that only 37.1% of the participants used sharps containers and disposed of them at designated sharps collection facilities, and 57.3% weren’t familiar with the correct procedure for disposal of sharps at home.

In this guide, we’ll explain why proper disposal is a top priority. We’ll also share tips to make it easier.

Why Sharps Disposal Matters

Before we explain how to dispose of your sharps, let’s talk about why it matters in the first place.

1. Possibility of Injuring Others

Insulin delivery tools like insulin syringes, diabetic pen needles, and diabetes lancets have pointy ends that can injure you, your loved ones, caregivers, and even pets, as well as waste management and sanitation workers.

Proper home needle disposal is an important responsibility. Even though taking care of disposal of sharps at home can be a hassle, the consequences are too severe to ignore. Sharps are hazardous materials that are difficult to detect when discarded with other waste.

2. Exposure to Infections and Diseases

After being exposed to other waste, sharps can become contaminated. Being pricked by a used sharp can lead to severe infections.

It’s not only infections that can cause problems. In some cases, sharps can transmit diseases like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, or HIV.

Beyond the physical implications, getting injured by a needle or syringe is scary, especially for someone who doesn’t know the sharp’s source. Even a mild injury can lead to lasting anxiety and fear.

3. Protecting the Environment

Proper disposal of sharps at home prevents contamination in landfills and ecosystems. Not only do exposed sharps pose a threat to local wildlife and waste management workers, but they can also puncture other waste containers and cause hazardous leaks.

Consider the big picture. It’s easy to overlook long-term problems that are directly attributed to improper home needle disposal. Over 38.4 million people in the U.S. have diabetes. That’s a lot of sharps getting tossed every day! It’s up to each individual to do their part.

4. Avoiding Legal Consequences

Failing to take care of disposal of sharps at home can lead to large fees at the state and federal levels. Significant negligence can even turn into a criminal offense. And if someone gets injured by an exposed sharp, you could be served with a lawsuit.

Beyond the potential penalties, the damage to your reputation and mental and emotional health can be devastating. The risk just isn’t worth it.

How to Dispose of Sharps

It’s clear that proper sharps disposal is a must! Here’s how it works.

1. Use a Protective Container

A purpose-designed sharps container is the best solution. If you don’t have one available, you can use a puncture-proof container with a tight-fitting lid. For example, a laundry detergent or bleach bottle will work.

If you don’t use an official sharps container for disposal of sharps at home, you’ll need to clearly write “SHARPS” and draw a biohazard symbol on the container. Label all sides of the container for easy viewing.

2. Dispose of the Container According to Local Guidelines

The rules for home needle disposal vary by location. Some regulations require that you drop off the sharps container at a designated collection site, such as a hospital, clinic, pharmacy, or waste disposal facility.

If you’re unable to bring your containers to a drop-off point, you may want to look into a mail-back service that provides packaging and postage, so you can simply drop the container in the mail.

Some locations have curbside pickup programs and hazardous waste drop-off events that make disposal more convenient.

Tips for Managing Disposal of Sharps at Home

Even though this extra step in your at-home diabetes management routine can be a burden, there are ways to reduce the hassle.

1. Keep the Container Handy

Make sure your sharps disposal container is always located near wherever you check your levels or take your insulin. This simple step will provide a visual reminder and prevent you from making an extra trip to find the container.

2. Use a Small, Temporary Container

If you don’t check your levels or take insulin in a fixed location, add a portable container or syringe carrying case to your kit. That way, when you’re done using diabetes testing kits or insulin supplies, you can safely store the sharps temporarily until moving them to the sharps container.

3. Streamline Your Setup

To simplify disposal of sharps at home, consider using one type of insulin delivery tool, if possible. For example, you could use a diabetic pen or syringes instead of both types of insulin delivery systems.

4. Use Modern Technologies

Using the latest diabetes technologies can significantly reduce your workload, not only for home needle disposal, but for checking your levels and taking insulin.

One option is to seek out an insulin pump for sale. Because the insulin pump infusion set is typically changed every 2-3 days, you won’t need to worry about needle disposal nearly as often.

Similarly, using CGM supplies instead of lancets can drastically reduce your workload. With some continuous glucose monitors, you only need to change the sensor every 10-14 days, minimizing how often you need to deal with disposal of sharps at home.

Find Affordable Solutions at ADW Diabetes

We stock a large selection of discount diabetic supplies and health and wellness products from trusted brands. From approved sharps containers to state-of-the-art insulin pumps and CGMs, we have affordable solutions for easier sharps disposal. Lighten your load with our convenient Diabetic Coverage® Auto-Ship Program!