Blood glucose monitoring is a routine practice for individuals managing diabetes, involving the use of a meter, lancets, and test strips to track blood sugar levels. This process generates medical supplies that require careful disposal to maintain safety for the home and for waste management personnel. The rules for disposing of supplies depend entirely on whether the item is classified as a sharp or simply as biohazardous waste.
What Defines a Medical Sharp
A medical sharp is formally defined as any object that possesses sharp points or edges capable of puncturing or cutting human skin. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) specifically includes contaminated objects that can penetrate the skin, posing a risk of injury and the transmission of bloodborne pathogens. Sharps containers are designed to be rigid, puncture-resistant, and leak-proof to safely contain these dangerous materials.
Items that must always be placed into an approved sharps container include used lancets, which are the small needles used to prick the finger for a blood sample. Other examples are syringes, pen needles, auto-injectors, and infusion sets. The purpose of this specialized container is to prevent needlestick injuries to people handling the trash, such as sanitation workers, and to keep contaminated items out of the general waste stream.
The Correct Disposal of Used Test Strips
Used blood glucose test strips are not categorized as medical sharps because their composition is plastic and paper, lacking the ability to puncture skin. Therefore, they do not require disposal in a specialized sharps container, which is reserved for items like lancets and needles. After use, a test strip holds a minimal amount of dried blood residue, classifying it as a low-level biohazard rather than a physical hazard.
The standard method for disposing of used test strips is to place them into a sealed plastic bag or a small container before they are put into the household trash. Sealing the strips prevents direct contact with the small amount of blood residue. This approach is widely accepted because municipal waste systems are equipped to handle this type of low-risk, non-sharp biohazardous material.
Local regulations regarding the disposal of medical waste can vary by state or county. While federal guidelines may not mandate a sharps container for strips, local waste management authorities might have specific rules for items contaminated with blood. Users should always check with their local health department or waste service to ensure compliance with community guidelines. Some individuals choose to place test strips into the sharps container out of caution or for convenience, but this is a choice, not a mandate.
Managing and Disposing of Full Sharps Containers
The safe management of the sharps container is the final step in the disposal process for all true sharps. A sharps container should be closed and sealed once the contents reach the designated fill line, which is typically marked at about three-quarters full. Overfilling the container increases the risk of injury when attempting to seal the lid or during handling.
Once the container is full and securely closed, it should be sealed completely, often using heavy-duty tape. The full container must never be placed into recycling or regular household trash, as this remains a safety risk to waste workers. Safe disposal options include specialized mail-back programs offered by manufacturers or medical waste companies. Many communities also provide public drop-off locations at hospitals, pharmacies, or local health departments for the collection of sealed household sharps.