Needle Disposal Guidelines

More than a billion syringes, needles, and lancets are used for diabetes care in the United States each year. If they're not disposed of safely, these items, known as "sharps," can injure people and pets.

The rules and regulations regarding sharps disposal are different in towns and counties around the country, so check with your local sanitation or health department. If rules don't exist for your community, follow these guidelines:

Never throw loose sharps into the trash.

Never flush sharps down the toilet.

Remove needles from syringes and pen needle units using a BD Safe-Clip™ clipper device and put the rest of the syringe or pen needle in your BD™ Home Sharps Container. Don't attempt to remove the needle without the BD Safe-Clip™ clipper device because the needles could fall, fly off, or get lost and injure someone.

Put your used syringes in a sharps container.

When your BD™ Home Sharps Container is full, seal it and bring it to the veterinary hospital that prescribed your pet's insulin and syringes for proper bio-hazard disposal.

Keep this container away from children and pets.

DO NOT try to recap a needle. This can lead to accidental needle sticks which may cause serious infections.