Sharps Exchange

Recognizing the need to properly dispose of sharps, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital offers a
sharps exchange program to help provide a safer way to handle and store sharps

Exchanges will take place in the hospital’s main lobby near the Waterfall Café from 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. on these dates: 

• March 28
• June 13
• September 26
• December 12

What are "Sharps"? “Sharps” include medical needles, syringes and lancets (finger stick devices). The CDC estimates that over 800,000 accidental needle sticks occur each year. It is important to follow regulations on disposing of sharps. Once used, they are considered medical waste, and should be disposed of safely. They should NEVER be recycled. This endangers recycling workers and disrupts the recycling process.

Who is eligible? Anyone who uses syringes, needles, lancets or pen needles at home for routine medical care is eligible to use Wentworth-Douglass Hospital’s Sharps Exchange Program.

How do I securely store my sharps? Place your used sharps in a commercially available sharps container or a sealed, puncture proof container. Hard plastic and metal containers work well (such as empty pill bottles or empty laundry detergent bottles) with screw-on caps. Do not use coffee or other steel cans; glass bottles or jars; aluminum cans; plastic tubs, buckets, milk jugs, soda bottles or bags. When the container is full, seal it securely with strong, heavy tape. Visibly label the sharps container with the words “biohazard.”

Individuals unable to use this Sharps Exchange Service should contact their local pharmacy or sanitation department for sharps disposal options in their community.