Sewing Organization -- Handling Used Sewing Sharps

Sewing generates sharps as waste: needles, rotary cutters, broken scissors, dull or bent pins, dull or damaged serger blades. These can pose a danger when discarded.

To reduce risk to myself, folks visiting my sewing space and sanitation workers I’m careful in handling sharps.

Plastic screw top containers of all types are great for sharps of all sorts. I use large white plastic glucose tablet containers, but any container that is durable, puncture proof and secures tightly is a good choice.

Secure Jar to Dispose of Sharps

 I label the bottle sharps, store it high on a shelf out of reach from my young grandchildren and put in used needles and used rotary cutter blades. It can take years to fill.

The mouth of the jar is just barely large enough to hold rotary blades, so it is very difficult for the blades to accidentally come out when disposing. Or if dropped. Not that I’ve ever done that.

Since I buy blades in bulk, the used blades can’t go back into the container from which the blade came as is possible with blades sold in single packages.

To dispose, I write “danger: sharps” in multiple easy to see places in red sharpie on the white container and secure the top with packing tape to protect sanitation workers before disposing at a facility that accepts medical wastes and sharps.

Doctors offices and health facilities may allow you to add it to their medical waste since it is quite small and can fit inside a standard medical waste container.  Ask nicely at your next visit. If not, many municipalities have centers to accept specialized wastes or days with collection events. Since it can take years for me to fill my sharps container, I don’t mind the occasional trips to a doctor’s office or specialized facility. In fact, it gives me piece of mind knowing my sewing activity is not putting anybody at risk.

Happy sewing!