Not sure what to do with my needles!!

cknmonster

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Place them into a sharps box, which are easily obtainable from your drs. Take them back to chemist/drs who will dispose of them correctly.
 

martwolves

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SandyT said:
Hi all, I was just wondering how do we go about disposing of needles? I am a Type 1 and have been so for many years and never once worried about disposing of my needles until recently. I normally snap the needle and then replace the plastic cap on top, and after doing so I then snap the inner needle part which connects the syringe to needle, and then finally replace the outer plastic cap, so in total the needles are completely useless.

I have recently had people asking if I have 'placed your needle in a public bin?!' well, yes. I inject several times a day - especially when eating, need to do so to keep me alive, and already having to carry around insulin pens, needles, blood tester, blood tester strips, emergency food for hypos, it becomes a bit much to then carry a sharps bin around with you - my handbag is massive. What are the general rules as far as disposing of them goes? The hospital have never told me to dispose of them in any other way, and I've been attending the diabetic clinic for years.

My main issue is knowing what to do in the work place, help! :(

I have a sharps box in my desk and a sharps box in the first aid room. If I inject on the train, I recap the needle and dispose of when I get to work. I dispose of lancets and strips the same way as they are contaminated with my blood. Dead easy really, no need to dispose of in a public bin. Refuse collectors could get injured.
 

squeeze321

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I keep bleach bottles for disposing of sharps. I was advised to dispose of sharps this way by a DSN whilst I was on my DAFNE course.The bottles are tough plastic and not see through and they are also childproof and in my case 'adultproof'! Once the bottle is filled, I then reseal the cap with a lot of cellotape. I was advised on the DAFNE course that disposing of sharps this way is safe and it also saves the NHS money.
 

martwolves

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Bloody hell, why don't they give you a sharps box? Bleach bottles, eh? You're entitled to a sharps box, they must cost a quid, tops.
 

benjygirl

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Here in the New Forest you just phone the local council. They register you, deliver a sharps box and when it's filled to the designated line you phone them again, they pick it up (in a little bright yellow van) and give you a new one. I've never had any probs :)


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martwolves

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Nor me, since my bowel resection following a massive blood clot, I have to go to the anti-coagulation clinic each wednesday. The docs is next door, so when full I drop off and they dispose. I always have a spare for the 'inbetween' times, never had any issue at all.
 

John7956

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I carry a time 0.25l (I think) sharps bin in my bag. Doesn't get in the way and doesn't use much space.

I would say you shouldn't put needles in general waste at all. Even if they are unusable they still pose a health risk


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martwolves

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martwolves

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There's no excuse for harming others through idleness. I welcome the bleach bottle rather than the snister alternative.
 
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I get my sharps bin delivered by my local council, I got a letter from my GP that needed to be signed by myself and my doctor. I just give the council a ring when i need a new one and leave my full one on my doorstep the night before to get replaced :)
 

pav

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Looks like each area has different policies, in my area I got issued the bin via my GP practice, when its full I take it back to the GP where they exchange it, now up to a 7 ltr bin should take a while to fill it compared to what I started started off which with was 1ltr one.
 

ellietj

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I get a sharps bin free of charge from the Council's refuse and recycling department. Just phone and ask for a Clinical waste collection. This is in Bristol, but if one council does it I would have thought they all would. They come and collect the full one and bring you another, usually with only a few working days' notice. The bins come in at least two sizes and you can have whichever size suits you.
If you used the bin for sharps, in theory you could put all those clear plastic outers into the plastic recycling!
 

howe4now

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I always use a sharps bin and have had no issues getting one from my local GP. I would never throw my used needles in the bin, but I do throw my used test strips in the normal rubbish. I have a case for my Novorapid pen which has a little pocket for new needles. When I have used one of them I put it back in the pocket and then throw in the sharps bin and replace with a new one when I get home. Or, if I cannot fit my case in my bag then I just put the used needles in a pocket in my bag and then put in the sharps bin when home.
 
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jane67

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I have a sharpes bin and I have to take it to the needle exchange place in town, the only downside is this is where the drug addicts take theirs as well . Luckily I have a case that my insulin pen came with (a bit like a glasses case) and this has a place for 3 new or used needles so I can put the old ones in there when I m out and about. I was told by my nurse never to put any sharpes clipped or not into the normal rubbish :)
 

Stephscotland

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Newly diagnosed Type1 Diabetic.....just trying to dispose of clinical waste and my used needles....easier said than done!!! why?
This morning I asked my GP surgery for a sharps box. At this point I was informed that NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde no longer issue Sharps box's, I was told that I should use a Clipper to remove the needles. When I then asked what I was supposed to do with used Lancets (Clippers dont work on Lancets) and other blood contaminated waste such as Blood Sensor strips\swabs ect......I was told that I was to dispose of them in the normal refuse!!..... I then phoned the local council to ask if it was ok to dispose of blood contaminated materials like lancets and swabs ect in the refuse. The council pointed out to me that doing so would put the Health & Saftey of the council refuse employees at risk and that I should contact my GP Again....
I happen to know another type1 Diabetic in the Inverclyde area, whom goes to the GP'S for sharps boxes and sharp box swaps when full.
The reason I was given (GP Surgery Manager & GP Nurse & GP Receptionist) for NHS Greater Glasgow clyde NOT supplying Sharps boxes was because the used boxes had to be sent to Newcastle for clinical waste disposal of which was causing too much.
How are diabetics supposed to safely deal with contaminated needles and other blood contaminated materials in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area??
 
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munday1932

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I am a type2 and have to buy my strips I am not intitled to a sharps box but I take them to my diabetic clinic and put them in their sharps box.
 

mistyweather

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i know this is an old thread but though I would add my two penny worth. I have never had any trouble getting a Sharps Bin, no matter where I have lived but getting rid of them is harder. My surgery wont take them any more, the chemists wont either. I was given a phone number which I duly phoned and they told me when to leave the Sharps Bin outside of the front door which I duly did. No one ever turned up for the Bin, so phone again. They told me they would get back to me which they didn't. I gave up, I now have 4 Sharps Bins on a high shelf in my utility !!!
 

noblehead

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Have a word with your local council, seems strange your surgery won't accept them as they'll have collections themselves for their sharp bins.
 

Patch13

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My surgery won't accept them either and I have to phone the council for a collection. They forgot once so I had to phone again and ask again and that time they did collect them - so it might be worth trying again and letting them know you have tried in the past and they didn't collet them or ask for a complaints number to call (if they have such a thing) - that might encourage them to spring into action!


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mistyweather

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OK, I will have another go. Thing is, I am not much of a complainer, I wimp out. Might complain a lot to hubby but not too good at standing up for myself. Will go back to the surgery on Tuesday, or phone, and ask them again