La Salle County Health Department launches medical needles disposal program

The La Salle County Health Department is launching the Residential Sharps Disposal Program to provide residents with a free and easy way to dispose of medical needles.

This program is funded through a grant received from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Residential Sharps Collection Program. The sharps disposal program aims to make sharps disposal easy and accessible for county residents.

The initial launch provides two 24-hour accessible drop-off kiosk locations in the county: the La Salle County Health Department, 717 E. Etna Road, Ottawa; and the La Salle County Forensic Center, 520 W. Walnut St., Oglesby.

These kiosks will accept standard sharps containers. This program will not accept sharps from businesses.

How the program works

Pick up a free sharps container. Residents can pick up sharps collection containers by visiting the La Salle County Health Department between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or the La Salle County Forensic Center between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Secure the sharps container. The sharps containers are quart size and can hold about 36 1-cc syringes, the most common needle size. Residents should insert the sharps point-first into the container and secure the lid.

Dispose of the sharps. Residents may dispose of the sealed sharps container at either kiosk at their convenience. If you are using a personal container and your container does not fit into the kiosk, drop off your secured container at the La Salle County Health Department during normal business hours. Both the sharps container and disposal are free to residents, and no appointment is necessary.

For information, call the La Salle County Health Department at 815-433-3366 or the La Salle County Forensic Center at 815-434-8268.