Chatham County, GA Public Health Rules: Syringe Disposal (2026)

The Chatham County Biomedical Waste Ordinance, codified at Article VI of Chapter 21, governs how sharps generated in the unincorporated county must be handled. Section 21-602 defines the biomedical waste category item by item, and item 5 puts syringes squarely inside it, covering needles, IV tubing and syringes with needles attached, and scalpel blades. The disposal rule in Section 21-603 is a locational one, not a method one: biomedical waste generated inside Chatham County must be disposed of inside Chatham County, and the county will not accept biomedical waste, including sharps, that was generated elsewhere and hauled in for disposal here.

The ordinance doesn't carve out an exception for home-generated diabetic or medical sharps versus clinical waste; the definition in Section 21-602(5) covers any discarded punchable or cutting item, medical or household. Section 21-604 backs the rule with a real penalty: a fine up to $500, up to 30 days in the county jail, or up to 60 days of work-gang labor for any single offense, with every additional day of a continuing violation counted as its own separate offense, on top of court costs. Section 21-607 carves out one exemption: non-profit health service organizations in the county that collect, process and distribute blood and blood products are not covered by the ordinance.