Safe Sharps Disposal
Keeping Waterloo Region neighbourhoods safe is a collective responsibility. Improperly discarded needles and harm reduction supplies found in our communities is a concern. In an effort to promote community safety, we and many city and community partners have implemented a variety of measures to address this concern.
How to pick up and dispose of a needle |
Treat all needles and drug equipment as contaminated.
If a needle injury occurs, seek immediate medical attention. For further information, please contact us at 519-575-4400. |
Outdoor sharps disposal kiosks |
The outdoor sharps kiosk program provides residents of Waterloo region with safe and convenient options for sharps disposal. The kiosks are secure, tamper-proof drop boxes and are for individuals and community workers to use to dispose of sharps. Commercial and clinic waste is not permitted in the sharps kiosks. Businesses or clinics must make private arrangements for disposal of their waste. Residents can consult the Region of Waterloo Waste Whiz to determine where to dispose of syringes safely. Locations of outdoor sharps disposal kiosks in Waterloo Region: Kitchener
Waterloo
Cambridge
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Peer needle recovery program |
Working to Improve Neighbourhood Safety (WINS) is a pilot project to proactively find and dispose of harm reduction supplies found in the community in partnership with Region of Waterloo Public Health, Sanguen Health Centre and the Cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo. The program builds on successes from the initial pilot, which took place in Cambridge. During this new phase of the project, it will expand into Kitchener and Waterloo and will continue to operate in Cambridge. Through the program, people with lived or living experience of substance use are hired and trained to safely find and dispose of used needles and provide disposal containers to people they meet during their shift, focusing on areas most impacted by improper sharps disposal. For more information, please visit The WINS Project on the Sanguen Health Centre website and watch the WINS Project video on YouTube. To ensure the WINS program is meeting project objectives and to demonstrate community impact, data is collected and monitored on a regular basis. A data summary for WINS is released each quarter to share findings as they are available. See summaries below: 2023
2022
2021 |
Pharmacies involved with the Health Steward program |
Used needles, syringes and glass stems must be kept out of the regular garbage and recycling bins. Sharps must be returned in a closed sharps container. To find a pharmacy where you can pick up a sharp container and drop off full sharps containers, visit Returning Medical Sharps page on the Health Products Stewardship Association website. |
Reporting needles found in the community |
To report inappropriately discarded needles, contact your city or township directly.
You can also call 519-575-4400 and your call will be directed to the appropriate office. |
Working with people who use substances |
Region of Waterloo Public Health is mandated to provide the Needle Syringe Program. This program operates on the harm reduction principle of providing clients with an adequate amount of sterile needles to prevent needle sharing and needle reusing. The main goal of this program is to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, primarily HIV and Hepatitis C, and minimize the risks associated with substance use in the greater community. Individuals receive information and support on how to reduce their harm associated with substance use, and are provided sharps containers and information on various disposal locations. All Needle Syringe Programs in Waterloo Region provide sharps containers to individuals who use substances, and accept used supplies. For more information please visit Needle Syringe Program. |
Additional resources |
Looking for sharp/needle containers
Individuals |
For individuals who inject medication such as insulin, containers are available at select pharmacies. Go to www.healthsteward.ca to find a participating pharmacy near you. For other individuals, containers are available at the following locations:
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Community cleanups |
You can pick up a sharps container for community cleanups at the following locations:
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Business or doctor's office |
Businesses and health care providers must obtain sharps disposal containers and arrange for a disposal contract with a biomedical waste disposal company. For more information about sharps disposal guidelines in Ontario, check The Management Of Biomedical Waste In Ontario You can also contact a local biohazard waste disposal company. |
Non-profit agency (works with people who use substances) |
To see if your agency is eligible, send an email to Region of Waterloo Harm Reduction team at harmreduction@regionofwaterloo.ca. This email is monitored and someone will respond within 1-3 business days. |
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