Found Sharps and Needles | Huron Perth Public Health

Safe disposal of sharps/needles is important to prevent injury and reduce risk of infection. Sometimes sharps/needles are discarded in public spaces rather than in a safe disposal container or kiosk. This page contains information on how to safely handle and dispose of a found needle.

What should I do if I find a needle?

Only adults should handle a discarded needle; a child should never touch a discarded needle. All sharps must be handled carefully. You can safely pick up and dispose of a needle by following the steps below.

Steps to safe needle disposal

Grab a puncture-proof container, such as a sharps container, or if you do not have one of these, a thick plastic container with a lid. Bleach bottles work well because they have a small opening and a screw-on lid.
Treat all needles as contaminated. Wear thick rubber gloves. Use a pair of tongs, pliers or tweezers to pick up the needle.
Pick up the needle in the middle of the plastic tube. Point the needle tip away from your body. Be very careful not to poke yourself with the needle. Do not try to put the cap back on the needle, or to snap, remove or bend the needle.
Place the needle tip-side down into the container. Do not hold the container while you do this as you could poke yourself.
Tightly seal the container and label it, Danger: Used Needles.
Take the container to the nearest community sharps disposal kiosk (listed below). Never flush needles down the toilet or put them in the garbage or recycling bin.
Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after removal of gloves.

Community Sharps Disposal Kiosks

Community sharps disposal kiosks provide a spot to safely dispose of sharps/needle across Huron and Perth counties. Participating local pharmacies are also able to accept used sharps/needles.

Community Sharps Disposal Kiosks | Huron County

Community sharps disposal kiosks in Huron County
Community	Location	Address
Clinton	HPPH office	77722B London Rd., Clinton
Clinton	Mid-Huron Recycling Centre	37506A Huron Rd., Clinton Open Tuesday-Saturday, 8AM-1PM (except statutory holidays)
Exeter	South Huron Municipal Office	322 Main St., Exeter
Wingham	Alice Munro Public Library	281 Edward St., Wingham

Community Sharps Disposal Kiosks | Perth County

Community sharps disposal kiosks in Perth County
Community	Location	Address
Listowel	Inkerman Street parking lot (south side of the well house/pumping station) \| Listowel	140 Inkerman St. West, Listowel
Milverton	Perth East Recreation Centre (PERC) (north side of Gies Pavillion, south of the PERC building)	40 Temperance St., Milverton
Mitchell	Parking lot beside former West Perth Municipal Building	Across the street from 170 St. David St., Mitchell
St. Marys	Town Hall (east side of building)	175 Queen St. E., St. Marys
Stratford	Erie Street parking lot (behind the Festival Square building downtown)	91 Erie St., Stratford
Stratford	HPPH West Gore office (far end of the lower parking lot)	653 West Gore St., Stratford
Stratford	The Local Community Food Centre	612 Erie St., Stratford
Stratford	West End Pharmacy (side of the building)	426 Huron St., Stratford

What should I do if I've been cut or poked by a discarded sharp/needle?

Although low, there is a risk of infection from an accidental poke by a discarded needle. Follow the steps below to reduce the risk.

Steps to take after being cut or poked by a discarded sharp/needle

Let the cut bleed freely.
Wash the area well with soap and water.
Apply an antiseptic like rubbing alcohol or peroxide.
Contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible. They will assess the risk of infection and arrange testing or preventive treatment as necessary.

Sharps cannot be tested for blood-borne disease, so it is not necessary to keep the sharp. An adult can safely collect and dispose of the sharp.

You may be advised to have blood tests or get immunized, depending on the situation. While the risk is low after being cut or poked by a discarded needle, blood-borne diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C can be spread through blood and blood products.