Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 728 prohibits placing used needles and sharps in regular trash. Houston Solid Waste accepts properly contained household sharps at neighborhood depository sites and through limited collection events.
Texas Health and Safety Code §728.002 makes it an offense to dispose of used hypodermic needles or other sharps as regular municipal solid waste. Sharps must be placed in FDA-cleared sharps containers or sturdy puncture-resistant plastic containers (such as a labeled detergent bottle) before disposal. Houston Solid Waste Management Department accepts properly sealed household sharps at its six neighborhood depository and recycling sites; it does not collect sharps curbside. Pharmacies and clinics may also accept small quantities. Commercial generators must use a registered medical waste transporter under Texas Commission on Environmental Quality rules. Improper disposal can result in fines and exposes sanitation workers to needlestick injuries.
Discarding sharps in residential trash or recycling violates TX H&S §728 and Houston Solid Waste rules; misdemeanor charges and fines apply, plus civil liability for any worker stuck by an improperly disposed needle.
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