r/everett • u/Apprehensive_Bank804 • 2d ago
Health & Wellness Sharps disposal?
Does anyone know how to dispose of sharps containers legally and safely? I have tried google but there isn’t a lot of information out there surprisingly. The only thing I found was ask your pharmacy, but my pharmacy doesn’t do it. Any suggestions? It’s quite easy to get rid of abandoned needles and syringes but seems to be quite difficult to dispose of sharps before they’re abandoned 🤔
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u/mnraxie 2d ago
Medical Waste Pros (inside Family Pharmacy) in Edmonds lists that they take them for a fee. This is from the safeneedledisposal dot com website, which is where Snohomish county directs you to go. I’m surprised there aren’t any places listed in Everett. I wish Snohomish County had drop boxes like King County.
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u/Apprehensive_Bank804 2d ago
That’s the only place I could find as well but thought for sure there’d be another location. I think it’s crazy I have to load up my 3 kids and drive to another city to pay to dispose of these things. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll do it. But it makes a LOT of sense why addicts dispose of needles so carelessly when it’s so difficult to dispose of them responsibly. I wonder how many people know there’s only that one location in Edmonds, and one in Arlington that I’ve found and to top it off they charge. Seems ridiculous especially when so many people are disposing of needles all over our cities.
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u/gemini_jen 2d ago edited 2d ago
I ordered a couple kits from Take Back Washington
They sent a Sharps container (albeit a small one) with instructions on how to return it via mail. It was completely free.
ETA: as OP pointed out, this is just for auto-injector pens.
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u/Apprehensive_Bank804 2d ago
I went to their website to order one and it says they only accept prefilled injection devices. Am I missing something? 🤔😕
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u/gemini_jen 2d ago
Gah - I totally missed that requirement. I even went to this page and now see that yes, it’s for prefilled injector pens. (That’s what I had so I might’ve tuned out that “just” needles weren’t included.) My apologies!
For what it’s worth, I went to Bartell Drugs in Silver Lake last year and paid ~$5 to have them take my filled Sharps container. Not sure if you’re close to a Bartell? Their website says the cost is $2-$10 (and it’s not just pens!)
The variance is quite crazy to me - here we are trying to safely dispose of the needles and other counties can just throw them in the trash (in a heavy duty plastic container).
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u/frogz0r 1d ago
Bartells in Silver Lake, by the gym and Papa Murphy's, no longer accepts sharps containers. They have a note saying you can call another company for dropoff.
I did find that QFC pharmacy off 164th in Mill Creek accepts the containers, or so they said on the phone. I'm going tomorrow to see.
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u/Downtown_Dog_842 2d ago
The QFC pharmacy on Evergreen in Claremont Village will take sharps container.
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u/vinniethestripeycat 2d ago
Thank you for a useful answer. I have a couple to dispose of as I use them for disposing of my lancets.
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u/Apprehensive_Bank804 2d ago
Yes finally! Even though it took forever on the phone to get someone to verify this info it is true! Also they told me pretty soon they’re going to start charging for this service but as of now it’s free, so I figured I’d share this info!
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u/bulletproofblonde 2d ago
The Snohomish Health Department on Rucker used to have sharps disposal kits for free, with tongs/gloves/sanitizer and a sharps container. I’d check with them and see if that’s still available or if they have guidance for other means of disposal.
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u/Apprehensive_Bank804 2d ago
So apparently this is only for people who find discarded sharps, not for people who want to dispose of them responsibly.
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u/hikewithcoffee 2d ago
I’m not sure if Sound Pathways off Marine View takes sharps but might be worth a call.
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u/cocoorkiki 2d ago
I believe you can dispose of them at the recycling area of the Snohomish County transfer station on Airport Road for free. They should have some red metal bins off to the right as you pull in to the recycling area. You may want to call them to confirm 425-388-3425.
I know for sure the Shoreline transfer station takes them for free. You just have to tell them you're dropping off a sharps container at the window. Then you drive in and the red metal bins are at the far end over to the left of the exit.
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u/JoanJetObjective13 2d ago
7315 212th St SW Edmonds, WA 98026 Service Area: Snohomish County 425-778-7778 Notes: Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm, Saturday, 9am-4pm.
Pricing Details: 1 quart container-$5, 1 gallon container-$10, 2 gallon or more container-$15 per pound.*
Pricing is not guaranteed and is subject to change by the individual merchant
For other medical stuff visit MedTakeBackWashington.org and they will send you pre paid mailers.
We’ve visited several pharmacies that say they will take meds no longer needed or expired but their boxes are always full or they no longer participate in the Safe Return program.
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u/Apprehensive_Bank804 2d ago
I did find this one location in Edmonds and one in Arlington but was hoping to not have to drive to another city. I think it’s crazy there aren’t multiple Places available in this city!
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u/JoanJetObjective13 2d ago
You’re right, it’s pretty sad that the Health Department won’t get involved. If we can’t find safe places then they get tossed in the trash and waste workers are put at risk.
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u/uluqat 2d ago edited 2d ago
There are various sharps dispensers on Amazon and the like, but the nearly free way and ubiquitous way to go is to use 2 liter soda pop bottles after they've been emptied. Fill them with needles, screw the top back on tight, and you can put them in any trash container OOPS that's illegal in King and Snohomish counties, thank you for the correction!
Some quick Googling (for "snohomish county sharps disposal") brings me several results including this page which lists locations for sharps disposals in Snohomish County:
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u/Apprehensive_Bank804 2d ago
So I have a sharps container but I’m looking for somewhere to dispose of the sharps inside the container. It’s illegal in snohomish and king county to dispose of sharps in the trash even if they’re in a secured sharps container.
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u/General_Road_7952 2d ago edited 1d ago
The QFC pharmacy in Mill Creek takes them. You could call other QFC pharmacies to see if they do. I think they all do. They also have a drug take back program for unused medications
I know the Fred Hutch pharmacy takes them, but that’s kind of a long way. I wonder if the Providence cancer pharmacy would take them?
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u/MrsGreen97 2d ago
Thank you! I have weekly injections and have been accumulating since bartells stopped taking them :(
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u/Whynotdd212 1d ago
Novo Nordisk has a free program where they will send you a large, 1.5 gallon sharps container and return shipping when it is full. The program is for diabetes but I don't think they ask any questions. I have used the program for years.
https://www.novocare.com/diabetes/resources/safe-disposal.html
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u/AnonymousReed2 Bunker Arts Collective 2d ago
In my experience, I haven't been able to find a clear cut answer that does not include a fee. I believe Everett would benefit from a public disposal bin but haven't gotten any buy in from our elected officials quite yet.
king county has em! they work!!
Some have mentioned the Snohomish County Health District on Rucker... they do offer kits you can get for free and return for free. great to have on hand for every now and then accumulation!! but only available during traditional M-F business hours
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u/ConsequenceMaster858 2d ago
If there is a frequent need, contact waste management as it has to be incinerated in a specific manner.
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u/Upbeat-Mess-9952 1d ago
QFC pharmacy on Evergreen will take them. They ask you to buy a new sharps container when you do, but don't charge for the service.
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u/AbbreviationsOk2333 7h ago
Some fire stations used to accept them in a proper sharps container. Before just bringing them in, check with your local firehouse first.
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u/rock-n-white-hat 2d ago
QFC pharmacy on Evergreen.