The City has launched a proactive program with its waste hauler, Waste Management of Orange County – in an effort to educate and protect residents and reduce medical waste.
The program, which is an alternative disposal method, is meant to educate residents about the new California law, Senate Bill 1305. The law, which went into effect Sept. 1, makes it illegal for home-needle users to dispose of syringes and needles in their trash.
The City and Waste Management of Orange County – in an effort to address the issue – have implemented the convenient Sharps Disposal by Mail Program. The program partners with Walgreens Drug Stores at 25533 Marguerite Parkway and 27785 Santa Margarita Parkway, which will provide residents with a disposal kit that gives them a safe and convenient way of disposing home-generated sharps. The SHARPS Disposal by Mail System is an FDA-approved worry-free needle disposal system that gives individuals a way to dispose of used hypodermic needles, lancets, test strips and other small-quantity medical waste into a specially designed sharps container. Once the container is full, folks can mail it back in the postage-prepaid shipping container, where it is delivered to a certified medical-waste facility and destroyed. The first kit is free to Mission Viejo residents with proof of residency. Additional kits are available for a co-pay of $5. The City is subsidizing the cost of the Sharps Disposal by Mail Kit. The kits will soon be available at four CVS pharmacy locations in town.
City officials say the need is great – as used needles and lancets can injure people, spread germs and infectious diseases. It’s also a “win-win” for the environment by helping to reduce medical waste.
In addition to the mail-back program, the Orange County Waste & Recycling Department starting today will accept sharps at its four Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Centers (see locations listed below). Sharps taken to the county HHW centers should be contained in a heavy duty, puncture-resistant container with a tight-fitting lid (examples include plastic detergent bottles, liquid fabric softener bottles, empty bleach bottles and red sharps containers).
For more information, call the City of Mission Viejo at 949-470-3010.
Orange County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers:
Anaheim
1071 N. Blue Gum Street
Huntington Beach
17121 Nichols Street
Irvine
6411 Oak Canyon
San Juan Capistrano.
32250 La Pata Avenue
Centers are open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. There is no charge to Orange County residents.
