Medical Sharps are instruments that are intended to cut or penetrate skin (e.g. needle, syringes with needles, lancets and razor blades). They require special handling and may not go directly to the landfill.
- Medical sharps should be placed in an approved sharps container that is closable, puncture-resistant, leak-proof and appropriately labeled.
- Medical Sharps containers should be ordered through Shop@UW. It may be helpful to search for “Medical sharps containers”. Containers are available in different colors and sizes.
- When 3/4 full, these containers are to be taken by staff to a collection container (do not overfill).
- MERI (Madison Environmental Resourcing Inc.) will pick up these collection containers for treatment.
- Material that is picked up by MERI need not be disinfected, unless it comes from a BL3 facility.
- If you wish to autoclave the sharps box, make sure it is designed to be autoclaved.
Non-medical sharps are lab materials that can cut, but are not intended to do so, and should be disposed of in a manner that prevents harm
- A plastic bag does not provide adequate protection.
- Examples include fragile glass, glass slides and cover slips, pipettes and pipette tips.
Non-medical sharps contaminated with infectious materials, human blood or tissues, or recombinant materials (e.g. recombinant organisms or nucleic acids) should be placed in a rigid plastic container labelled with a biohazard symbol and either
- disinfected in the lab via autoclaving or approved chemical disinfectant, affixed with the “OK to Trash” label, and labelled as “Broken glass and plasticware”
or
- deposited in MERI collection container within a sealed rigid container (disinfection not typically required)
Non-medical sharps not contaminated with biohazardous materials (including infectious substances, potentially infectious substances, and recombinant materials) should be placed in a cardboard box (lined with plastic if appropriate).
- The boxes should be sturdy, no larger than 1′ x 1′ base and 20 lbs max weight.
- Label the box as “Broken glass and plasticware”.
- Tape the sides and corners.
- When full, tape shut and affix the “OK to Trash” label.
- It may be left for custodians to remove from the lab area.