Mark,  As Stefan indicated in most states all “sh arps” are regulated as medical waste. I’m not aware of a state where this is not the case in the US. 

What this does mean, even if, as in your case, it is used to deliver solvents it is a sharp to be disposed of as medical waste.  T he rational is simply as follows.  IF someone presents with a needles stick, medically it must be treated as a Bloodborne pathogens exposure, unless you can definitively show that it was not.  If people are disposing in the general trash t he potential of an needlestick incident goes up.  In some states such as California, syringes and needles were was hing up on the beaches because of the sharps being disposed of not as medic al waste.

Not sure what your state is but check with you state medical waste regulations and guidelines.   They should have some wordin g that will help.

Also, here is the link to our guidelines for Sharps Disposal .  htt p://www.ehso.emory.edu/guidelines/SharpsGuidelines_2.pdf

Patty

Patty Olinger, RBP

Direc tor EHSO

Emory University

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It’s all Regulated Medical Waste in the State of CT, a nd needs to be managed as such (sharps container, proper waste vendor such as Stericycle)-  if empty.

-Stefan Wawzyniecki, CIH, CHMM

University of Connecticut

Hi All,

We use syringes to deliver solvents. Some of t he syringes have needles, some do not. None contain any biohazardous substa nce, but the solvents would be hazardous waste if disposed of.

*For syringes without needles, if they are emp ty when disposed of, can we consider each syringe to be a RCRA empty contai ner and throw them in the regular trash?

*What about empty, non-biohazardous syringes with needles?

I have done a little searching on this issue, but have not come up with definitive guidance.

Thank you

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