The following must be adhered to for the disposal of home-generated
medical waste.
A. No one may discard disposable or reusable hypodermic needles, syringes
or lancets in public or private places which may be accessible to
other persons (including trespassers) without first destroying the
needle, syringe or lancet.
B. All syringes, needles and lancets must be then placed in rigid containers
that will protect people from needle sticks. Said containers will
be such that are unlikely to break open on their way to the landfill;
C. Said rigid containers may include empty laundry detergent bottles
or two liter soda bottles or other rigid containers with screw-on
caps. Local pharmacies may sell commercial containers specifically
designed to hold this type of medical waste for disposal;
D. A warning label must be placed on said empty container containing,
for example, the following language: "SYRINGES — DO NOT RECYCLE";
E. Hand-held needle clippers are available from local pharmacies, and,
to the extent practical, the individual receiving the medical treatment
should clip the needle, syringe and/or lancet and thereafter place
them in the appropriate container. In cases where this cannot be done
due to the limitations of the individual receiving the medical treatment,
a family caregiver or volunteer must perform this activity. It is
recommended that the individual's physician be consulted first.
F. The aforementioned rigid containers must be sealed tightly with its
original lid with duct tape wrapped over the lid.
G. Said tightly sealed rigid containers shall be disposed of in household
garbage within the appropriate trash bag, and not in the recycling
bin.
In the event of a violation of this article and an employee
of the Township's Highways/Sanitation Workers Department is injured
by any exposed needle, the individual receiving the applicable medical
treatment will be tested immediately for any communicable diseases
and bear the costs for this testing.
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision
of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay
a fine of not more than $1,000, together with the costs of prosecution,
and, in default of payment of such fine and costs, shall be subject
to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 30 days. Every day that a
violation of this article continues shall constitute a separate offense.
Upon violation of this article, the Township reserves the right
to exercise any and all rights and remedies available to it under
the law. Any failure by the Township to exercise any right or privilege
hereunder should not be construed as a waiver of the right or privilege,
or to exercise any other right or privilege at any other time thereafter.