Board of Health announces sharps collection policy

By Guest

At its September 10 meeting, the Canton Board of Health voted to institute a “sharps” disposal policy to help Canton residents who use sharps (i.e. hypodermic needles, lancets, and other medically necessary blood-letting devices) to properly and lawfully dispose of them according to a new Massachusetts law that went into effect on July 1 of this year.

Briefly, the new law requires individuals who use disposable sharps to no longer dispose of them in regular household trash. Residents must instead place them in clearly marked, lockable biohazard waste containers and have them removed to a licensed medical waste disposal facility.

As these requirements are somewhat onerous, the Board of Health has decided to help these individuals comply with the law by selling suitable biomedical waste containers at cost to any Canton resident who needs them. The board has also contracted with a licensed medical waste hauler who will transfer bulk amounts of these containers to a medical waste disposal facility. The price of the disposal containers are $10 each, which also covers the cost of disposal. So if a resident purchases a container from the Board of Health, when full, the container can be brought to the Health Department at 79 Pleasant Street to be disposed of free of charge.

This program is for private Canton residents only. No sharps will be collected in this program from commercial endeavors.

Used sharps may be collected by the Board of Health only if they have been brought to the Health Department office in 9”x9”x6.5” (or smaller) locked, red, and properly labeled biohazard containers. No cans, boxes, or soap, bleach, milk or other types of containers shall be dropped off at the Health Department.

If an individual chooses to collect his or her sharps in a container obtained elsewhere, the sharps container may be dropped off at the Health Department office provided the container meets the size and specifications described above and the $10 per container disposal fee has been paid.

If an individual uses a different container at home, he or she may purchase a biohazard container from the Board of Health and transfer the sharps into the container for disposal prior to bringing it to be dropped off. Please note: Health Department personnel are not allowed to transfer or touch in any way your used sharps. Accordingly, the Board of Health can only accept disposal containers that have been purchased from or approved by the Health Department.

All containers must be locked and labeled with the name of the individual dropping off the container, their phone number and address.

For more information, call the Health Department at 781-821-5021.

Submitted by John L. Ciccotelli, RS, CHO

Canton Health Department

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