Hennepin County provides free residential sharps disposal at drop-off facilities and partner pharmacies under its household hazardous waste program; sharps in trash or recycling are prohibited.
Hennepin County operates two household hazardous waste facilities in Bloomington and Brooklyn Park that accept residential sharps in approved rigid containers at no charge. Several partner pharmacies also accept household sharps. Putting needles, lancets, or syringes in regular trash, recycling, or organics carts is prohibited because it endangers waste workers. Businesses generating medical sharps must use a regulated medical waste hauler under Minn. Stat. Chapter 116. The county also distributes free sharps disposal containers to residents who request them.
Discarding sharps in curbside trash, recycling, or organics may trigger nuisance enforcement; commercial generators face state medical waste penalties under Chapter 116.
See how Hennepin County's syringe disposal rules stack up against other locations.
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