Portage County, WI Public Health Rules: Syringe Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Forfeiture
- $50 to $500 per violation, plus costs
- Enforcing agency
- Sheriff's Office, Solid Waste Director, Site Coordinator
- Governing section
- Portage County Code § 4.7.10, Disposal Prohibitions
- Exemption
- SWMB or Wisconsin DNR may grant written exemption
- Applies to
- Unincorporated towns using the county transfer facility
Summary
In unincorporated Portage County, syringes, needles and other medical waste fall under the county's infectious-waste disposal ban. Portage County Code § 4.7.10 bars dumping infectious waste at the county transfer facility unless the Solid Waste Management Board or the Wisconsin DNR grants an exemption, and § 4.7.7(9) folds sharps into the code's medical waste definition alongside catheters and soiled dressings.
(9)Medical waste means those types of waste which are associated with medical procedures such as infectious waste, including, but not limited to, syringes, needles, drains, catheters, urinals, body parts, soiled dressings, blood, etc. ... No person shall dispose of the following items or materials in any county transfer facility unless an exemption has been granted by the SWMB or the Wisconsin DNR: ... •Radioactive wastes•Infectious wastes•Hazardous substances•Electronic wastes
Full Breakdown
Portage County's Solid Waste Ordinance (Portage County Code § 4.7, enacted under Wis. Stat. § 59.70(2)) treats used syringes and needles as medical waste, defined at § 4.7.7(9) as 'those types of waste which are associated with medical procedures such as infectious waste, including, but not limited to, syringes, needles, drains, catheters, urinals, body parts, soiled dressings, blood, etc.' Because medical waste falls inside the code's broader 'infectious waste' category, § 4.7.10's Disposal Prohibitions bar depositing it at the county transfer facility at 650 Moore Road in the Village of Plover or the county landfill at 1430 County QQ in the Town of Stockton, unless the Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB) or the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources grants a written exemption first.
The transfer facility is enforced by the Portage County Sheriff's Office, the Solid Waste Director and the Solid Waste Site Coordinator under § 4.7.9, and § 4.7.11 requires every user to tell the Scale Attendant what type of waste is being delivered before unloading begins; a user who brings unacceptable waste stays responsible for removing it and for any cleanup or environmental-damage costs. This chapter governs the towns under county zoning that use the county solid waste system; municipalities such as Stevens Point that run their own collection sit outside this county chapter.
Because the rule targets facility acceptance rather than curbside pickup, households and clinics generating sharps must route disposal through a DNR-compliant option, such as a pharmacy take-back program or a licensed medical waste hauler, rather than placing needles in trash or recycling bound for the county transfer station.
Violations & Fines
Under § 4.7.22, anyone who violates the Solid Waste Ordinance, including delivering infectious waste to the transfer facility without an SWMB or DNR exemption, forfeits not less than $50.00 nor more than $500.00, plus costs and assessments. The County may also seek injunctive relief, and the Portage County Sheriff's Department enforces the section by citation or through civil action for equitable or legal relief.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I throw used syringes in my household trash in unincorporated Portage County?
Who enforces the sharps disposal ban?
What's the penalty for dumping infectious waste at the transfer facility?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portage County
Compare Portage County to another location·View the Wisconsin public health rules overview
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