Discarded needles and syringes

We will remove needles and syringes from the adopted highway and land adjacent to the highway.

If the needles and syringes have been left in an unsafe location and they require immediate removal, these safety guidelines must be adhered to -

  • find a suitable container try to get a plastic container with screw top lid to place the needle or syringe. Do not use glass bottles or drinks cans
  • take the container to the needle or syringe
  • place something protective on your hands like rubber or thick leather gloves
  • do not touch the needle or syringe use tweezers or tongs to pick up the needle or syringe
  • do not touch the sharp point with your hands
  • do not put the cap back on or re-sheath
  • place the sharp end of the needle into the container first
  • you can place more than one needle or syringe into a container but do not overfill
  • make sure the container lid is tightly sealed
  • do not dispose of the container in regular waste, down the toilet or drain
  • it must be disposed of by incineration as clinical waste
  • keep the container in a safe place until collected
  • wash everything you have used to handle the items in an antiseptic detergent

You can request the removal of discarded needles and syringes if they are located on a -

  • road
  • pavement
  • park

Items which are found in an unsafe location and require immediate removal should be reported by telephoning 01482 300 300.

You should be very careful when moving needles or syringes yourself and should keep children away from them.

Request a needle or syringe removal

We aim to locate the items and remove them within 24 hours.

Removal of sharps from residential properties

If a needle or syringe has been deposited in your garden, call 01482 300 300 for removal.

Sharps box collections

In some situations the council will collect sharps boxes from customers.

Before a sharps collection is requested, the customer must have first attempted to return their sharps box to their local GP surgery or pharmacy.

If you have attempted to return your sharps box, but this is not possible, you can request a collection by calling 01482 300 300.