NYS Safe Sharps Collection Program

There are many individuals with serious health conditions who manage their care at home and use syringes. For example, people with diabetes use syringes to inject their own insulin and use lancets every day to test their blood glucose. In addition, injection drug users use syringes and needles. Safe disposal of sharps is critically important to optimize health, safety and protection of the environment. The best way to ensure that people are protected from potential injury or disease transmission of blood borne diseases due to needle sticks is to follow established guidelines for the proper containment of “sharps” syringes, needles and lancets and other safer disposal practices. The Department offers three directories that identify sharps collection sites in communities across New York State. 

All hospitals and nursing homes in New York State are mandated by law to accept home-generated sharps as a free community service through their sharps collection programs.  In addition, pharmacies, health clinics, community-based organizations, mobile van programs, public transportation facilities, housing projects, police stations, waste transfer stations and other venues have become settings for safe sharps and offer syringe collection drop boxes (or "kiosks") to help facilitate the safe collection of used sharps.

These facilities and alternative sites, along with the location and hours of operation of their sharps collection sites, are listed in the directories below:

Service providers may share the above directories to educate clients and to refer them to convenient places in the community where they can safely dispose of their household sharps.

Although every attempt has been made to keep the directories updated, service information may have changed since data was collected. Before visiting the location, we suggest calling the phone number a long-side the site you are interested in to confirm program information. Information posted on this website will be updated regularly as new information becomes available.

Facilities wishing to update information about their community sharps collection sites should e-mail their updated information to: ESAP@health.state.ny.us, fax their update to (518) 402-6813 or mail to the following address:

New York State Department of Health
AIDS Institute – Sharps Collection Program
Riverview Plaza, 5th Floor
Menands, New York 12204