Sherman, TX Public Health Rules: Syringe Disposal (2026)

Section 13.06.010 sits in the solid waste article of the Sherman Code of Ordinances and governs sharps disposal in the City of Sherman, Texas. Under § 13.06.002(b), the article applies to all territory within the existing corporate limits of the city. Section 13.06.002(a) states the article's purpose: the accumulation of garbage, refuse, rubbish, and waste is a public menace and nuisance and greatly increases the danger of the spread of infectious, contagious, and epidemic diseases.

The covered items are used disposable syringes, hypodermic needles, scalpel blades, and other sharp objects designed and intended for intrusion into the human body. The requirement is packaging: each item must be securely placed into a puncture-resistant container prior to being placed in any commercial dumpster or residential solid waste container. The rule reaches both households and businesses because it names both container types, and this section prints no separate fee.

Penalty runs through § 1.01.009, which sets a fine not exceeding $500, with a $2,000 ceiling for a rule that governs public health and sanitation, and treats each day a violation continues as a separate offense.

Related duties sit in the same article. Under § 13.06.012, the head of the solid waste division keeps a written list of special waste or hazardous waste not acceptable for collection, open to public inspection during regular business hours, and no person shall deposit special waste or hazardous waste in a container serviced by the division. Each property owner arranges with an authorized private hauler for lawful disposal of those wastes. Residential waste placed in roll-out carts must be bagged and closed so the container lid fits flat and level on its base under § 13.06.050(d).