General information, not medical, legal or environmental advice. Call Triple Zero (000) in an emergency, or go to the emergency department of your nearest hospital. This advice is New South Wales’s, except healthdirect’s needlestick advice, which is national. The official pages are NSW Health’s community sharps page and healthdirect’s page on needlestick injuries.
NOTE MW-5 · SHARPS AT HOMESharps at home
In New South Wales, NSW Health says you can keep used sharps in a container that meets Australian standards, or in any puncture-proof container with a screw top, and that once it is full you can take it to a public sharps bin. If you find a sharp that is not yours, NSW Health says: “do not touch it. Call the NSW Needle Clean Up Hotline on 1800 633 353 to organise its safe removal.”
This site’s official advice on sharps disposal is for New South Wales only. healthdirect’s needlestick advice, below, is national.
- Note
- MW-5
- State
- New South Wales
- Source
- NSW Health · healthdirect
- Date checked
- 8 Oct 2026
Field 01Sharps users
NSW Health starts from who uses sharps: “Many people use needles, syringes, and lancets, not just for recreational drug use, but also to administer essential medications for conditions like diabetes.” And from whose job their disposal is: “People who use sharps, councils and government have a shared responsibility to ensure the proper disposal of used sharps to help keep our communities safe.”
Field 02Sharps containers
Two New South Wales bodies give advice on the container, in different words. Here they are side by side, each on its own.
“If you often use sharps at home, it could be more convenient to store your used sharps in a puncture-proof container and dispose of the container once it is full. You can purchase sharps containers that meet Australian standards at many pharmacies or online. Alternatively, you can use any puncture-proof container with a screw top. For example, an empty laundry detergent bottle.”
“Once the sharps container is full, you can take it to a public sharps bin to be disposed. If your sharps container does not fit into a public sharps bin, some pharmacies, medical centres and hospitals can help you to dispose of your sharps.”
The NSW EPA’s advice to individuals is that if you use sharps for medical care you give yourself, or for non-medical use, you should always put them in an “approved personal sharps waste container”, or in one that a commercial or community service supplies as part of its service.
For the closest place to drop used sharps, it says to ask your council or your community health care provider.
NSW Health’s guidance adds that pharmacies “can also sell personal use sharps containers to all members of the public.”
Field 03Public sharps bins
“Using a sharps bin is the best way for you to dispose of your own used sharps safely while out in public. You can typically find sharps bins at:”
- “hospitals”
- “some pharmacies and medical centres”
- “community health centres”
- “community sharps bins provided by local councils, such as those in public toilets and parks.”
“To view more outlets or to enquire about other public disposal options, please consult your local council.”
NSW Health’s guidance also says: “All public hospitals and facilities that are authorised Needle and Syringe Program outlets must accept used sharps from community members at no cost, regardless of whether the person is a Needle and Syringe Program client.”
Field 04Found sharps
“If you’ve found a sharp that does not belong to you, do not touch it. Call the NSW Needle Clean Up Hotline on 1800 633 353 to organise its safe removal.”
Field 05Needlestick injuries
“If sharps are not disposed of properly, they have the potential to cause a needlestick injury to someone in public.” “A needlestick injury is when a needle or syringe pricks the surface of the skin.” “Although the risk of disease transmission is low, a needlestick injury could expose you to blood-borne viruses, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.”
“If you have suffered a needlestick injury, you should:
- wash the wound with soap and water for at least 30 seconds*; and,
- visit a nearby general practitioner (GP) for further assessment and treatment.”
“*If soap and water are not readily available at the time of injury, you can also use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser to clean the wound.”
healthdirect, the national health advice service, says that after a needlestick injury you should spend 30 seconds or more washing the wound with soap and water, and afterwards “go straight to your doctor or to the nearest hospital emergency department.”
Its steps are to wash the area with plenty of water, using bottled water if you are not near a tap; then cover the wound with a clean dressing or adhesive plaster; not to squeeze or rub the area around the injury; and to get medical advice immediately.
Field 06Councils
NSW Health’s page explains what councils must do about sharps in public places. “Councils have workplace health and safety (WHS) obligations to manage risks associated with community sharps given that their employees might encounter these hazards. This may include people working in cleaning, waste management, park maintenance, community centres and libraries.”
“Although councils may not control the actions of individuals in public spaces, they must implement reasonable measures to minimise risks from discarded sharps to workers, volunteers, and the public. This includes ensuring there are appropriate sharps disposal bins available. This involves identifying and assessing the risk of needle stick injuries and either eliminating or controlling these risks effectively.” “Councils should also have clear procedures for responding to and reporting needle stick incidents as part of their safe work method statements (SWMS).”
NSW Health’s guidance gives the reason it matters beyond the person who used the needle: “The inappropriate management and disposal of community sharps may pose a health and safety risk to the public, council employees, waste contractors and resource recovery operators.” What else the guidance asks of councils is in clinical waste in New South Wales.
Field 07Other states and territories
This site holds no official advice on sharps disposal for Victoria, Western Australia or any other state or territory, so it gives none. Your own state or territory health department is the place to check. healthdirect’s needlestick advice, above, applies across Australia.
How NSW law and NSW Health’s guidance describe community sharps is in what counts as clinical waste; the rules in Victoria and Western Australia are separate notes. Back to the cover note.