Medical Waste is Not Accepted at NEDT Collection Centers
The following information is provided to help you find alternatives for disposal. Biological waste is generally not accepted at NEDT and other collection centers. Examples include used sharps, live culture dishes, and anything contaminated with blood.
For some residents, producing medical waste is a part of their daily lives, and for others, it’s the aftermath of an emergency. From sharps from diabetes management to bacteria culture dishes to prescription medication, these products should not be thrown in the trash for the hazards they pose to garbage haulers, facility staff, and even the environment. While NEDT does not accept these types of products, we want to provide you with guidance on handling, storing, and disposing of them to keep everyone safe. You can learn more about products we don’t accept here.
Hazards
- May infect other people who come in contact with trash.
- Unwanted or expired medicines or pharmaceuticals could be harmful to children or adults.
- Antibiotics poured down the drain can kill beneficial microbes and bacteria in septic systems and may adversely affect fish and other marine organisms.
Handling
- Keep sharp objects such as needles, syringes, and lancelets in secure containers out of the reach of children. Do not use glass.
- If you use medical products from a first aid kit or emergency kit, they may be considered medical waste. This includes any sharps (needles, syringes, and lancelets). See Massachusetts’s Medical Waste – Community Sanitation page for more details.
Management Options
- By law, once a pharmacy has issued a prescription, it cannot take it back. Take unwanted prescription drugs to a permanent waste medication kiosk in or near your community or to a local collection point on the next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
- See Safely Dispose of Prescription Drugs for additional information.
- For cancer treatment drugs or radioactive medicines, follow the issuing hospital’s specific disposal instructions.
- Place and seal disposable sheets, medical gloves, and soiled bandages in plastic bags before putting them in the trash.
- Dispose of medical sharps such as needles, syringes, and lancets at local collection sites—never in the trash. Learn more from the Department of Public Health.
- If no sharps collection program is available, purchase a postage-paid mail-back container to have your sharps disposed of through a medical waste incinerator. Several companies offer mail-back programs. Search online for a provider of this service.
This information was brought to you by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and NEDT. For more information, including links to their guides, visit our Fact Sheets & Links page, and make sure to check out our NEDT Blog and Household Hazardous Products Resources for more in-depth information.
