Sharps


Sharps must be disposed of safely in designated sharps containers. This includes:

Inappropriate disposal of sharps can pose a serious risk to the public. A needlestick injury has the potential to infect the person with blood-borne infections such as HIV or Hepatitis B or C. While the risk of contracting one of these blood-borne infections from a needlestick injury is very low, it is still important to safely dispose of sharps.

In order to ensure safe recreation and urban open space areas, the ACT Government provides sharps disposal containers in toilets on public land. We also regularly inspect and clean urban open spaces.

We aim to remove sharps as quickly as possible from public spaces. If you would like to report sharps or clinical waste, please call our 24-hour Sharps Hotline on 13 22 81.

How to report sharps or clinical waste

The ACT Government has a 24-hour Sharps Hotline (13 22 81) for people to report sharps or clinical waste that has been discarded irresponsibly. The Sharps Hotline is the central point for reporting any issue or obtaining information on sharps.

If you find a needle or syringe in a public place, do not touch it with any part of your body or move it with any object. Note and mark the location and call the Sharps Hotline.

If the sharps or clinical waste are located on unleased land, a City Ranger will pick up the sharps or clinical waste as soon as possible.

If sharps are found on leased land it is the responsibility of the leaseholder to dispose of them. This includes businesses, schools, residential dwellings, ACT Housing dwellings or Government offices.

If you find sharps on private land, you will be advised of the appropriate disposal procedures.

You can also call the Sharps Hotline for information and referral for any person who may have suffered a needlestick injury.

Removing sharps from public land

As soon as a needle, syringe or any clinical waste is found in an area under the management of Transport Canberra and City Services, either by an employee on a routine inspection or by a member of the public, it is reported and removed by a trained employee.

Contractors regularly inspect open space areas for sharps and clinical waste. This includes:

  • inspecting public toilet blocks and public places at shopping centres daily
  • inspecting playgrounds and barbecue sites weekly
  • inspecting parks during routine maintenance work.

Sharps disposal containers

The ACT Government provides sharps disposal containers in all public toilets in urban open space.

Public toilets are one of the more common places for intravenous drug users to inject drugs. The provision of sharps disposal containers is essential for the responsible disposal of sharps and clinical waste.

The vast majority of injecting drug users are aware that disposal facilities are available in public toilets, so they are more likely to dispose of sharps and clinical waste in a responsible manner.

Sharps disposal containers in public toilets managed by Transport Canberra and City Services are emptied at least once a fortnight. They are emptied more frequently in high use areas.

Sharps disposal containers in public toilets have been manufactured to meet the relevant Australian Standard for the disposal of sharp objects (AS 4031-1992).

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.

To see how we are building stronger relationships with the Traditional Custodians of the ACT view the Reconciliation Action Plan.