Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

Found a full sharps bin in new house

109 replies

Sharpsbin · 31/01/2022 20:57

I have sealed it so it isn't hazardous, but I cannot find any way to dispose of it. Local chemists won't take it, told me to call local council environmental health. Council told me to contact local chemists.
Obviously can't put it in the bin.
There is no name/number/identifying feature of the provider or recipient on it.
I have been trying for 3 weeks to find a way of disposing of it safely.
I have no idea where to try next.
I don't know where the vendors have moved to or even if it belonged to them.
Would be grateful for any suggestions.
TIA

OP posts:
seven201 · 31/01/2022 22:57

I've got a full sharps bin after ivf too like many posters on here. Don't really want to drive half an hour just to give it to my clinic. My dd was 2 before I managed to get rid of the one I needed after birth with her. Everyone just kept saying no.

It's mad how hard it is to safely dispose of them.

IcicleIcicle · 31/01/2022 22:57

Bit left field but I wonder if a tattoo studio would take them as a one off or for a small contribution towards their clinical waste costs?

Blackbutler86 · 31/01/2022 23:00

You could always try a local care home? They usually have clinical waste wheelie bins emptied regularly, perhaps offer to buy the residents some nice treats in exchange?

PurplePansy05 · 31/01/2022 23:03

Ffs people saying put it in general waste, no, you never do this, no matter how sealed they are! 🤦🏼‍♀️

OP, your local hospital will take the bin, this includes smaller hospitals, eg with a minor injuries unit.

Policyschmolicy · 31/01/2022 23:04

I would have been straight in touch with my solicitor to be honest. It shouldn’t be your problem to deal with.

Lachimolala · 31/01/2022 23:10

Honestly after 6 months of trying to offload my sharps bin full of empty dalteparin containers. And like you going round and round in circles, I ended up just sticky taping the lid, wrapping it up in stretch wrap and about 4 bin bags and chucking it in the wheelie.

ReviewingTheSituation · 31/01/2022 23:10

DH just takes his (insulin needles) to Boots. No questions asked ever. It would be odd if they had a regional/local policy - I'd have thought if one did it, they all would.

WitchWithoutChips · 31/01/2022 23:11

When I had a course of heparin after my CS I couldn’t even get a new sharps bin once I filled the first (tiny) one I had been given. I ended up using an ice cream tub and gaffer-taping it closed.

lborgia · 31/01/2022 23:12

Hospital! Just hospital.

AgathaMystery · 31/01/2022 23:14

@lborgia

Hospital! Just hospital.
Yup. Go to your local hospital, find an outpatient clinic and drop it off. People do this all the time where I work. We fill half a dozen sharps bins a day where I am based. A few more makes no matter.
BungleandGeorge · 31/01/2022 23:16

As others have said it’s the council’s responsibility to dispose of them. It’s not necessarily free
www.gov.uk/request-clinical-waste-collection

worriedatthemoment · 31/01/2022 23:17

In my area the local council takes them but you have to ring and book it
I would call them again and speak to the waste department and ask them
They should be set up to deal with things like this

Soundofshuna · 31/01/2022 23:23

This is a national service you can put your post code in and see if your council collect
www.gov.uk/request-clinical-waste-collection

BungleandGeorge · 31/01/2022 23:26

@ReviewingTheSituation

DH just takes his (insulin needles) to Boots. No questions asked ever. It would be odd if they had a regional/local policy - I'd have thought if one did it, they all would.
Pharmacies don’t provide this device unless they have a contract to do so. It’s not a standard service, some councils will have an additional contact with them. So yes it depends on the area what they’ve been commissioned to provide. It’s expensive to dispose of a sharps bin, there has to be payment for it coming from somewhere!
Lockdownbear · 31/01/2022 23:46

@ReviewingTheSituation

DH just takes his (insulin needles) to Boots. No questions asked ever. It would be odd if they had a regional/local policy - I'd have thought if one did it, they all would.
Boots made me feel like a junkie and told me to go to the local needle exchange - you guess is as good as mine as to where that is located.

Really the disposal method should be stickered on the box. I couldn't even get rid of brand new unused needles either.

Classicblunder · 01/02/2022 06:42

I don't want to just put them in the bin but we have tried every suggestion in this thread and no one takes them. It is either put them in the bin or keep them in our house until we move and leave them for the next owners !

We even tried our local councillor as it is supposed to be a council service, they say they gave contacted pharmacies to do it, the pharmacies send you to the GP etc etc

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 01/02/2022 06:50

After trying to get rid of mine for months after my last csection I masking taped it up, put it in a bin bag then threw it in the bin

dogsfrogslogs · 01/02/2022 06:53

I would raise this as an issue with your MP to be honest.

My used needles get collected by the drugs courier when they bring my new ones.

Print off this thread to highlight the issues.

dogsfrogslogs · 01/02/2022 06:53

(I know they're not your needles and this doesn't help, sorry)

lightnesspixie · 01/02/2022 06:54

Take it to GP

Roselilly36 · 01/02/2022 07:04

Tricky one, .I used to have needles for injecting a disease modifying drug three times a week. The firm that supplied the drug also collected the needles, yellow bins. You could try calling healthcare at home, I think they have changed their name now to Scientus. Alcura are another drug delivery firm they may have a suggestion. Could you get in touch with the Estate Agent to contact the vendor and ask for them to arrange collection? Good luck.

WhiskeyMakesMeFrisky · 01/02/2022 07:15

OP ..... forget about disposing of the needles it's not your job.
Get in touch with the estate agent / solicitor about pursuing your vendor. Either they come and collect it or they find and pay for disposal collection or something like that.

Boils my piss when people leave a mess for others.

When I moved house I left my last one immaculate, spent hours and hours cleaning it too to bottom. Got keys to my current house and it was a right state - full of all their old junk and complete with skid marks in the toilet. I went mad contacted estate agent and they ended up paying me £900 back to compensate for the removal/cleaning costs.

Anniegetyourgun76 · 01/02/2022 07:19

Take it to your local hospital, even better if they have an IVF clinic just take it there, they usually have a big bin for them somewhere near the entrance as they get tonnes of them back.

PurplePansy05 · 01/02/2022 07:55

Someone who still has this kind of a bin, could you give her the Sharps collection number?

Swipe left for the next trending thread