Ocala, FL Public Health Rules: Syringe Disposal (2026)

Ocala's solid waste code treats used syringes and other sharps as a category of biohazardous waste rather than ordinary trash. Sec. 54-1 defines 'biohazardous waste' to include, without limitation, non-liquid human tissue and body parts, laboratory and veterinary waste containing human-disease-causing agents, used disposable sharps, human blood and blood products and body fluids, and any other material presenting a significant infection risk or defined as biohazardous, biomedical or biological waste under state or federal law. Sec. 54-6(a) makes clear that, notwithstanding any other provision of Chapter 54, biohazardous or hazardous waste cannot be placed in garbage cans, containers or dumpsters for routine city collection; instead it must be segregated and disposed of according to state and federal law and the procedures in Florida Administrative Code ch.

62-701. Sec. 54-8(10) reinforces the same rule as a prohibited act, barring anyone from depositing biohazardous waste in a residential or commercial municipal solid waste container, refuse cart, compactor or dumpster, or otherwise disposing of it without following ch. 62-701 F.A.C. Sec. 54-34(a) separately directs that residential hazardous wastes generally go to a city-designated facility or to one of the department's four specially advertised annual household hazardous waste amnesty days; the Code does not name a routine sharps drop-off site or authorize a needle-exchange or harm-reduction program, so residents needing to dispose of syringes must arrange segregated disposal consistent with ch. 62-701 F.A.C. rather than curbside collection. A violation of Sec. 54-6 is punished by a $150.00 fine.