Reusable Sharps Containers

The process for handling reusable sharps containers requires the containers to be taken to a permitted medical waste transfer station or off-site treatment facility processing.  The process consists of the sharps containers being opened by a robotic mechanism or other practice approved by the CDPH's Medical Waste Management Program (MWMP), the contents emptied for processing as medical waste, and the reusable sharps container being washed and sanitized before being sent back to the hospital for reuse.

Reusable sharps containers can significantly reduce the medical waste stream by removing the weight of the single-use container. One study showed that a 250-bed hospital would reduce its medical waste stream by 13 tons per year from just the weight of the single-use containers.  The removal of these plastics from the medical waste stream allows the hospital to implement an ideal pollution prevention intervention.

Several hospitals have requested information regarding the use of reusable sharps containers.  Therefore, CDPH's Licensing and Certification program consulted with MWMP and produced a letter explaining the use of reusable sharps containers (PDF).  In addition, here is a list of companies offering a reusable sharps container system (PDF)