The Problem

If you have diabetes or any medical condition that requires self-injection at home, the disposal of syringes can be a problem. The amount of home generated medical waste such as used syringes and lancets is enormous and growing. The estimated 225,000 New Yorkers who have diabetes use up to 700,000 “sharps” daily, 200,000 syringes for injections of insulin, and 500,000 lancets to monitor blood sugar levels. This adds up to 255.5 million sharps each year.

The improper disposal of these syringes and lancets poses a health hazard to family members and sanitation workers and increasingly to other people in the community such as hotel housekeeping staffs and school personnel.  Used syringes and lancets have become a public health issue, as people are becoming more aware of diseases that can be transmitted by contact with blood and body fluid. Moreover, the improper disposal of home-generated medical waste poses a serious threat to the environment.

The Solution

The Safe Syringe Disposal Program, offered by St. John’s Riverside Hospital was developed by the Healthcare Association of New York in conjunction with Health Care Waste Solutions, a company that manages the disposal of needles and syringes.

The program is as easy as 1-2-3:

1.  Register at St. John’s Riverside Hospital, ParkCare – (914) 964-7340.

2.  Receive a puncture-proof, non-breakable container to dispose of used syringes and lancets. The syringes fit in without the needle needing to be broken or recapped.

3. When the container is full, simply return it to the hospital and receive a new container. Health Care Environmental will dispose of the filled container in an environmentally responsible manner.

Filled containers can be returned to:

St. John’s Riverside Hospital Main Entrance/Security Desk
From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. – 7 days a week

Emergency Room Desk at Dobbs Ferry Pavilion
From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Monday through Friday

Benefits to the Community

The Safe Syringe Disposal Program protects you and your family from inadvertent needle sticks in the home. And the sanitation workers in your neighborhood will be safer, too.

Benefits to the Environment 

Home-generated medical waste is just one cause of pollution to our environment, but it is one we can control. Lancets and syringes can puncture through milk cartons, coffee cans, or bleach containers. They can contaminate our landfills and even wash up on our shores.

Together, we can make the program a success. By participating in the Safe Syringe Disposal Program, you are doing your part to protect people in your family and community and to safeguard the earth as well.

For more information contact: (914) 964-7340.