Dangerous goods in kerbside recycling bins
Dangerous goods in kerbside recycling bins pose a real risk to staff at Tasmania’s Materials Recovery Facilities who are sorting bin contents by hand.
Examples of dangerous goods include needles and other sharps, ammunition and pieces of wire.
Help keep recycling sorting staff safe by keeping needles and other sharps out of kerbside recycling. If a needle is found in a load of recycling, sorting stops and it’s all diverted to landfill so workers remain safe.
The best way to dispose of syringes, needles and other sharps including those use in tattooing, is to place them in a specially designed sharps disposal container.
These approved biohazard containers have rigid walls, are resistant to puncture and can be sealed in such a way that the contents are not capable of causing injury.
Containers are available from the Tasmanian Government’s Needle and Syringe Program outlets. The outlets distribute sharps disposal containers and provide services for the appropriate disposal of used injecting equipment and full containers. Containers may also be available from your local council.
Find your nearest location from the Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services’ Needle and Syringe Program website or contact your local council for advice.
Rethink Waste aims to improve our efforts at reducing, reusing and