Medication and Needle Disposal

Safe Needle Disposal

Where Can Residents Safely Dispose of Sharps? 

Please Note: Cowlitz County Health & Human Services does NOT accept sharps containers for disposal.

Location: Waste Control in Longview, WA. in the Hazardous Waste Facility (Building A).
Proper Disposal: Sharps must be deposited into a sealed, rigid plastic container with a screw-on lid, such as a liquid laundry detergent bottle, 1-gallon milk jug, 1-gallon orange juice container, or an approved sharps container. Be sure to place duct tape around the lid.
Website: For more information, visit the Waste Control website.

Tips for Safe Needle Disposal

• Never pick a syringe up with your bare hands. Use gloves and tongs or pliers.
• Do not break the needle off a syringe.
• Always put a syringe in a hard plastic container.
• Place the container on the ground -- do not hold -- and drop the syringe in it.
• Tape the container shut.

Needle Clean-up Kits*

Cowlitz County Health & Human Services (CCHHS) has free needle clean-up kits for businesses and community members who wish to clean up and safely dispose of used needles found on private or public property. These kits contain safety equipment and instructions about how to safely handle needles. Kits can be picked up at the main campus of CCHHS at 1952 9th Avenue in Longview during normal business hours.  *This program is intended for residents and business owners cleaning up used needles found in the community, not for businesses that generate used needles. Individuals using insulin shots or other similar uses should dispose of their used needles in sharps containers provided by local pharmacies or clinics.

Needle Exchange Program

Cowlitz County does not operate a needle exchange program.

For local syringe exchange program information contact the Family Health Center at 621 Grade Street, Kelso WA 98626, or visit the Family Health Center website.