Sharps Disposal & Medication Drop-off

Medical Sharps (Needles, Syringes, and Lancelets)

The Town of Norwell offers free sharps disposal for residents at the Norwell Fire Dept. Headquarters located at 300 Washington Street with the following requirements:

  • Needles/Sharps will be collected Monday – Friday from 8am-4pm only.
  • Needles/Sharps disposal is limited to Norwell Residents from Normal Household Use. Identification is required. All items for disposal will be inspected by Norwell Fire Personnel.
  • No Commercially Generated Needles/Sharps will be accepted.
  • All Needles/Sharps must be packaged in sturdy plastic containers for acceptance.
  • No Trash/Medications/improperly packaged sharps or Non-Sharp articles (ie syringes without needles etc) will be accepted.
  • DO NOT LEAVE UNATTENDED NEEDLES OR SHARPS IN THE LOBBY.
  • DO NOT PUT MEDICAL SHARPS IN THE TRASH OR RECYCLING. IT IS ILLEGAL.
We accept any FDA approved sharps container which can be purchased online or at your local pharmacy.
 
If you cannot obtain a FDA approved sharps container, you can use an empty household container with the following features:
  • Tight-fitting lid that cannot be punctured.
  • Made of heavy-duty plastic.
  • Does not leak.
  • A common use acceptable household container is an empty and rinsed out Laundry Detergent bottle.
  • Unacceptable container examples are: Milk containers/jugs, soda, juice, and water bottles,and all glass containers.

Prescription & Over the Counter Medications

The Norwell Police Department located at 300A Washington Street has a kiosk for unwanted pill form medications inside the lobby, open 24/7, no questions asked.

  • Do not flush or put prescription medicine down the drain.
  • By law, once a prescription has been issued, the pharmacy cannot take it back.
  • Unused pharmaceuticals found in the trash may be stolen for unregulated use.
  • Antibiotics kill beneficial microbes in septic and wastewater treatment systems. Other medications, even at very low concentrations, may have serious detrimental effects on fish, other aquatic life, and drinking water.
  • Liquid Medications can be poured into a container of inedible material like cat litter, coffee grounds or dirt and thrown away in your regular trash.