Home  >  For residents  >  Health & wellbeing  >  Sharps management  >  Legislation Legislation The Environmental Protection (Waste Management) Regulation 2000 requires a person to dispose of a sharp in a safe manner. The following is a summary of legislation requirements: Disposal of Sharps A person in a domestic setting such as a diabetic, therapeutic medical user, a drug user, or a professional tattooist, body piercer or acupuncturist as a minimum when disposing of sharps must place the needle or sharp in a rigid-walled, puncture resistant container; and seal or securely close the container. Maximum Penalty: 20 Penalty Units ($2,000). Commercial premises that generate 'clinical or related waste' such as doctors, hospitals immunisation clinics must dispose of needles or other sharps in an approved sharps container that complies with Australian/New Zealand Standards. Maximum Penalty: 40 Penalty Units ($4,000). The sharps containers used for the collection, storage, transport or disposal of sharps must be in a predominately yellow container, with biohazard symbol and be labelled as clinical waste. Maximum Penalty: 20 Penalty Units ($2,000). The Australian/New Zealand Standards are: Australian/New Zealand Standard 4261:1994 - Reusable containers for the collection of sharp items used in human and animal medical applications; and Australian Standard 4031:1992 - Non-reusable containers for the collection of sharp medical items used in health care areas. Commercial 'Clinical and related waste' operators that generate sharps are required to appropriate ensure there is appropriate treatment and disposal by a licensed waste transporter in accordance with 'Schedule 5 - Treatment and disposal of clinical and related waste'.  An example of appropriate treatment and disposal involves high temperature incineration. Maximum Penalty: 165 Penalty Units ($165,000). A person who discards a sharp must ensure a needle or a sharp is not accessible to another person. Maximum Penalty: 40 Penalty Units ($4,000). Minimum Standards - General Public Disposing of Sharps The general public's minimum standards for disposing of sharps are that disposal occurs in a rigid-walled, puncture resistant container that is sealed or securely closed. The container can then be placed in the general household wheelie bin (general waste stream) or preferably in a Community Sharps Container Disposal Bin. Examples of a suitable container include: Recycled thick plastic laundry liquid container with secure lid; Metal coffee can with securely taped lid; and Australian Standard approved sharps container. Otherwise a single syringe can be placed in a Community Sharps Disposal Unit. Best Practice - General Public Disposing of Sharps Best practice disposal for the general public is that disposal occurs in an approved Australian Standard sharps container. The container should then be placed in a Community Sharps Disposal Bin. These sharps are required to be treated and disposed of by a licensed waste transporter in an approved method of treatment and processing such as high temperature incineration.