News and Articles

02/26/2013

Solid Waste Management Agency - Scary Amount of Needles Found on Recycling Sort Line

Solid Waste Management Agency - Scary Amount of Needles Found on Recycling Sort Line

Santa Fe, NM (February 26, 2013) – Scary Amount of Needles Found on Recycling Sort Line Recently, there has been an increase in household generated “sharps” seen on the recycling sort line at the Buckman Road Recycling and Transfer Station (BuRRT) in Santa Fe. Sharps include hypodermic needles, syringes, and lancets. They are typically used in the home for insulin injection or for administering medications to treat other chronic diseases such as allergies, diabetes, arthritis, hepatitis B, and HIV.

“When folks do not dispose of their sharps or needles properly, they are putting our workers at risk of getting struck by the needle and contracting a disease. Human beings are sorting our recyclables, not machines, and even though they wear the proper safety equipment, needles can penetrate through their gloves,” states Mike Smith, BuRRT Site Manager.

It is legal in Santa Fe to put sharps in your trash container, as long as they are not thrown in loosely. Residents can use an empty laundry detergent bottle with a screw-on lid to store and dispose of used sharps. Once the laundry detergent bottle is full, secure the lid tightly and place it in your trash container. It is recommended to label the bottle with “Needles or Sharps” so that it does not pose a risk to your family, neighbors, or trash collector. Do not store used sharps in glass bottles, soda bottles, milk jugs, aluminum cans, or coffee cans which may break or lacks a secure lid. Always keep storage containers for used sharps out of the reach of children.

Managing and disposing of household generated sharps safely reduces pollution to the environment and prevents injury and disease transmission from needle-sticks. Sharps should NEVER be put in recycling bins, left on streets, in parks, or anywhere else where they could injure someone.

For more information on proper waste disposal and recycling, visit www.SantaFeRecycling.org

Lisa Merrill

Education & Outreach Coordinator

Santa Fe Solid Waste Management Agency

Buckman Road Recycling & Transfer Station

Physical: 2600 Buckman Road, Santa Fe, NM Mailing: 149 Wildlife Way, Santa Fe, NM

O: 505.820.0208 x420

C: 505.795.1551

SantaFeRecycling.org