Safe disposal of sharp items

At this time of year our waste collection teams are extremely busy, and the Isle of Wight Council would like to remind residents of the process of safely disposing of sharp items.

Please do not place any sharps in your household waste or recycling. These items can cause injury to the collection teams and any other people that may handle your waste.

There is a robust clinical waste collection process in place for those who are treated or self-treat at home. But please note that sharps are not generally collected from households.

The Isle of Wight has a ‘Sharps Take Back’ scheme which is designed for the proper disposal of needles or syringes with needles. A full list of where residents can take their sharp items boxes can be found on the Sharps Disposal page on the Council website. If you are unable to reach a pharmacy or have a larger 5 or 7 litre sharps box, please contact waste.contract@iow.gov.uk.

Please remember:

• Avoid Household Waste: Do not place sharps in household waste or recycling bins to prevent injuries.
• Clinical Waste Collection: A robust clinical waste collection process is in place for those treated at home, but sharps are generally not collected from households.
• Sharps Take Back Scheme: Residents can dispose of needles and syringes at participating pharmacies. A full list is available on the Council's Sharps Disposal page.
• Large Sharps Boxes: For larger 5 or 7 litre sharps boxes, contact waste.contract@iow.gov.uk.

Natasha Dix, Service Director for Waste, Environment and Planning said ‘’it’s vital that everyone disposes of their sharps (needles/ syringes with needles) in the proper way to ensure the safety of all the people who may come in to contact with your waste. As a council we continue to provide a good level of service for the collection of sharps to ensure community safety.’’ Natasha continues ‘’if residents come across any sharp, hazardous items on Council owned or maintained land and they are concerned it may cause a risk to human health, they can use the Emergency Hit Squad contact form on the Sharps disposal page on our website. One of our waste collection team members will collect the hazardous materials and make it safe. Residents issues with larger sharps boxes or who have amassed a large amount at home can email the waste team who will help to resolve the disposal of large amounts of sharps ’’

Reporting Flytipped Sharps:

• Council Land: Call 01983 823777 or complete the online form on the Sharps Disposal page.
• Private Land: Responsibility of the landowner.
• Public Roads/Pavements: Report to Island Roads at 01983 822440 or online at Fix My Street.