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Insulin

To prevent injury, illness and pollution, the EPA recommends that you discard used lancets and syringes in a hard-plastic or metal container with a screw-on or tightly secured lid-either a household container, or a container specifically designed for medical waste disposal. You can read more about specific containers in the resources below. It is best to reinforce the lid with tape, label it "not for recycling," and also note: do not put sharp objects in any container you plan to recycle, and do not use glass or clear plastic containers. Furthermore, do not try to recap the lancet or syringe, and do not break the needle off the syringe, as you might accidentally injure yourself.

Your state or community environmental programs may have other requirements or suggestions for disposing your sharps. Be sure to contact them, as well as to review the resources below. In fact, the Safe Community Needle Disposal web site developed by Academy for Educational Development (AED) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the first to compile needle disposal laws and regulations in one place and provide state-by-state summaries.