Wyoming classifies used sharp, hypodermic needles
and syringes as a form of infectious waste.
Wyoming has not established written regulations for the disposal
of infectious wastes.
Infectious wastes are regulated by the Wyoming
Department of Environmental Quality, Solid & Hazardous Waste Management Division as well as the Department
of Employment, Worker’s Safety & Compensation Division (OSHA).
Identified Community-based Disposal Initiatives
No syringe disposal programs were identified in Wyoming, but that
does not mean that no such programs operate in the state.
Learn about how criminal laws affect syringe disposal by individuals in this state, especially injection drug users.
Disposing of contaminated medical waste, including needles,
syringes, and other “sharps,” has become an important issue in
public health policy. Waste generated in the health care system is highly regulated
at the state and federal level. Hospitals and other health care facilities
must follow special procedures for handling, transporting, and disposing of
medical waste, including used needles that may contain blood. Facilities also
have instituted strict safeguards to protect health care workers, housekeeping
staff, sanitation workers, and waste haulers from needlesticks because of the
risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis B and C, and other bloodborne infections.
Less attention has been paid to safe disposal of used
syringes that come from individuals living in the community. However, as many
as 3 billion syringes are used each year outside health care facilities: It
is estimated that between 0.9 and 1.68 billion insulin injections and up to
1 billion illegal drug injections occur each year in the United States. After
being used and discarded, most of these syringes end up in the public solid
waste system. This presents a risk of needlestick injury and infection, mostly
to solid waste workers. A much smaller number are discarded in public areas,
such as parks, presenting a risk to the public.
This section of CDC’s Community Syringe
Disposal, Laws and Regulations, and the Public Health web site looks
at the public health dimensions of this problem. It describes this state’s
solid and infectious waste laws and regulations as they relate to syringe
disposal. It provides background information on several key disposal options
currently used in the U.S. and describes the impact of this state’s
laws and regulations on the way that individuals may use these options. It
also includes brief descriptions of some safe disposal programs in the state
and provides contact information for the state’s public health and
environmental management agencies.
This web site is designed primarily for individuals and
communities who are working to build safe syringe disposal programs and improve
public understanding of this important issue. We hope that the information
and tools provided here will help communities move closer to the ultimate goal of “no
syringes discarded in the trash or in public locations such as parks, buildings,
or the streets.”
Wyoming has not established regulations for the disposing
of infectious wastes. However, it does provide recommendations for its management
and disposal in a document entitled Infectious Waste Management…Questions,
Answers and Options.
The document provides these infectious waste management options:
Treat the infectious waste, if possible, through technologies that
include incineration, steam sterilization, thermal inactivation,
gas/vapor sterilization, irradiation sterilization, and chemical
disinfection.
Dispose of infectious waste at a landfill provided the operator
is notified and the facility accepts such wastes.
Contact a commercial infectious waste contractor to transport
the infectious waste to a treatment or disposal facility. (Persons
may contact the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality for a
listing of local contractors.)
The document provides these recommendations for infectious waste disposal
at a landfill:
Contact the manager of the local waste management system for
any additional disposal requirements.
• Treat infectious waste prior to disposal if this is possible.
• Place sharps in rigid containers that are appropriately
labeled.
• Notify all persons handling infectious waste as to its
presence.
• Dispose of infectious waste in specially designated areas,
if possible.
• At the landfill, cover infectious wastes with at least
six inches of soil as soon as possible.
To get Infectious Waste Management…Questions, Answers and Options, contact
the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Solid & Hazardous Waste
Division (WDEQ/SHWD) at (307) 777-7752. For further instruction or disposal
options, call local WDEQ/SHWD staff:
Summary Establishes administrative authority — The solid waste management
statute enables the administrator of the Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
Division
to
enforce and administer any regulations that are established within the solid
waste management article.
Statute
Articles 1 & 5 of the Wyoming Statutes Title 35, Chapter 11 [Ref
1]
2. Solid Waste Management Rules and Regulations
Summary Establishes standards for managing solid waste — The Solid
Waste Management Rules and Regulations provide standards and specific requirements
applicable
to all persons managing and disposing of solid wastes. These rules include
general provisions; permit requirements; management standards for transfer,
treatment, and storage facilities; and requirements for solid waste landfills.
Rule
Chapters 1-10 & Chapter 15 of the Solid Waste Management Rules and Regulations
[Ref 2]
Summary Adopts federal bloodborne pathogen rule – Wyoming’s bloodborne
pathogen rule was adopted by reference from the federal standard. The state
operates its own program under an U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA)-approved state plan.
Sets requirements for collection sites when employees handle the sharps
containers – Operators
of sharps container collection sites in which employees physically accept and
handle filled sharps containers from customers are required to meet the OSHA
bloodborne pathogen standards. This involves developing a written Exposure
Control Plan that identifies the frequency of exposure and the tasks and procedures
in which exposure may occur. The Plan also must address methods of compliance,
hepatitis B vaccination, hazard communication to employees, recordkeeping,
and methods to evaluate exposure incidents.
Sets requirements for collection sites when employees do not handle the
sharps containers – Operators of sharps container collection sites
in which customers place filled sharps containers into a collection container
are not
subject to the bloodborne pathogen standard. In this situation, employees must
not handle the sharps containers. Those involved with removing the sharps containers
from the collection container must meet the standard.
How This Option Works
An individual brings filled sharps containers to a collection site such as
a pharmacy, medical facility (for example, a hospital or public health clinic),
or non-medical facility (for example, a fire station) for safe disposal.
Other sites have sharps collection drop boxes (a kiosk, mailbox-type receptacle,
or other secured collection bin). This is a viable option that can capture
many of the syringes generated in the community. Successful syringe container
collection programs feature:
minimal regulatory constraints placed on collection sites;
easy access provided through numerous and well-publicized
collection locations; and
minimal costs to users through subsidized costs of containers
and disposal.
Even if a community does not have collection site programs, an
individual may be able to develop an informal relationship with
a local pharmacy or other facility that will accept and safely
dispose of filled syringe containers.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Sharps container collection programs have two key advantages:
Used syringes are kept out of the regular solid waste
stream, which reduces the risk of needlestick injuries to waste
and recycling workers (see Disposal
in the Trash for more information).
Syringes collected through these programs are disposed
of safely as medical waste. This involves special disinfection
to destroy germs and destruction or
burial to ensure that the needle points cannot injure anyone.
Facilities and individuals may perceive some disadvantages:
Individuals may feel that bringing sharps containers to a
collection site is inconvenient and reduces their privacy because
it identifies them as a syringe user.
Collection sites may have to comply with state bloodborne
pathogen standards and medical waste disposal requirements, and
they must carefully maintain the collection bins or kiosks.
Effect of Wyoming’s Laws and Regulations on
Container Collection Sites
The solid waste management rules established by the Wyoming Department of Environmental
Quality (WDEQ) do not specifically address sharps container collection sites
and do not provide regulations for disposing of syringes or any other form
of medical and/or infectious waste.
Collection site operators may be subject to meeting bloodborne pathogen standards,
depending on how the sharps containers are collected and handled.
Container Mailback
Programs
Background
How This Option Works
Sharps containers are distributed to customers and, when full, are mailed back
to a syringe disposal company for safe disposal. This is a viable option
that can capture some of the used syringes generated in the community.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Syringe mailback programs have the same advantages as syringe
container collection sites:
Used syringes are kept out of the regular solid waste
stream, which reduces the risk of needlestick injuries to waste
and recycling workers (see Disposal in the Trash for
more information).
Syringes collected through these programs are disposed
of safely as medical waste. This involves special disinfection
to destroy germs and destruction or burial to ensure that the
needle points cannot injure anyone.
The cost of mailing the container to the disposal company varies.
The cost may be too high for some individuals, and may be considered
a disadvantage.
Effect of Wyoming’s Laws and Regulations on
Container Mailback Programs
Sharps container mailback programs are not addressed by Wyoming’s solid
waste laws and regulations. However, sharps container collection programs are
regulated under the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) when syringes are mailed [Ref
4]. The USPS regulations establish specific packaging, labeling, and tracking
requirements for these syringes.
Disposal in the Trash
Background
How This Option Works
Individuals place their used syringes in the household trash, either loose
or in a puncture-resistant container. Some individuals remove the needle
from the syringe and put it in a container using a special device. The syringe
and contained needle are then disposed of in the household trash.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The main advantages of this option are convenience and low
cost.
This option has one important disadvantage – it
places people at risk of being stuck by a needle and increases
their chances of contracting a bloodborne infection:
Placing unprotected syringes into the household trash puts
waste collectors at risk [Ref 5].
Placing used needles in a puncture-resistant container may
help protect trash collectors from being stuck. Even so, most
containers disposed of in the trash shatter in the garbage truck
and release their contents. This places other waste workers at
risk.
Bottles or cans used as puncture-resistant containers may
be recycled by mistake. This puts waste recyclers at risk.
Effect of Wyoming’s Laws and Regulations on
Disposal in the Trash
The solid waste management rules established by the Wyoming
Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) do not specifically address the
disposal of syringes or any other form of medical and/or infectious waste.
According to representatives of the WDEQ/Solid & Hazardous Waste Division
(SHWD), infectious wastes are viewed as a form of solid waste and must be disposed
of at a permitted solid waste management facility. Currently, there are no
other special rules or requirements for disposing of infectious waste.
How
Might Wyoming Ensure Safe Syringe Disposal by Individuals in the
Community?
The state legislature and individual communities may wish
to actively encourage individuals to safely dispose of used syringes and make
it easier for them to do so. Many options for state
and local action exist.
They range from gathering data, to developing community collection site programs
and education efforts, to creating partnerships with interested groups, to
considering amending laws and regulations. All will help Wyoming move toward
the goal of “no syringes discarded in the trash or public locations.”
Current
Identified Community Syringe Disposal Programs in Wyoming
Wyoming Department of Employment
Worker's Safety and Compensation Division
Cheyenne Business Center
1510 East Pershing Boulevard
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002
Contact: Stephan R. Foster, Safety Administrator
Tel: (307) 777-7786
Fax: (307) 777-3646
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Wyoming's Public Health Laws and Regulations: Impact on
the Safe Disposal of Used Syringes by Individuals in the Community