When procuring new products for your healthcare facility, choosing the right sharps disposal container should be a main consideration. Sharps bins are necessary items for any healthcare setting, also required for a variety of other industries in which sharp items may be used.

At Vernacare, we're experts in the healthcare field, manufacturing a wide range of products to make the lives of caregivers and care receivers easier. We manufacture our own brand of Sharpsafe containers, produced from high-quality, recycled materials that prioritise safety in healthcare settings.

In this blog, we'll explore the world of sharps disposal containers to help you select the optimum item for your needs. By staying informed, you can make the best decision for your health and safety needs.

The Importance of Sharps Disposal

Sharps disposal bins are essential health and safety devices within healthcare facilities, ensuring the safe disposal of hazardous clinical waste. Medical instruments and equipment with sharp edges or points are referred to as sharps, and these items can be particularly harmful to both people and the environment if not disposed of properly.

This means that the proper disposal and management of sharps waste is crucial for any healthcare facility, ensuring the safety of healthcare workers, patients and the wider community. Sharps containers enable healthcare professionals to safely dispose of sharps products, reducing the risk of infection and injury in healthcare spaces. 

How Do I Choose the Right Sharps Disposal Container?

There are a number of different sharps bins on the market at the moment, so it can be difficult to know where to start with your procurement needs. Our Sharpsafe collection features a number of sizes and openings, covering a wide range of different needs and functions, ensuring every healthcare provider should be able to find something suitable.

Here, we'll go through some of the main factors that should be considered when deciding how to properly dispose of sharps in your healthcare facility. 

Examine Your Needs

When it comes to choosing your ideal sharps disposal container, the first step should be to examine your needs. Consider the type of facility you are procuring your items for, which sharps items you’re likely to be disposing of and how much medical waste you go through on a daily basis. Answering these questions is a paramount concern, as understanding the type and volume of sharps you generate will play a key part in your decision.

Different medical facilities will produce varying amounts and types of sharps waste. For example, hospitals and clinics in urban areas may typically generate a higher volume of needles, syringes and other sharps items when compared to a small surgery in a rural village. In busier settings, larger sharps containers may be required, due to the amount of people travelling through the area and the heightened risk of accidents. In public settings, protected access containers with secure lids are essential for ensuring safety and compliance with sharps regulations.

The number of sharps disposal containers required also depends on the needs and size of your healthcare setting. Sharps bins should be adequately placed throughout your facility in locations where sharps waste is usually produced, allowing easy access for healthcare professionals. The larger your facility, the more containers you’ll need to purchase.

Once you've considered the needs of your healthcare setting, you can move on to the following steps. 

Consider Your Accessibility Requirements

When purchasing a new sharps container for disposal, it's important to choose a product that is both safe and easy to handle for healthcare professionals. When handling hazardous waste, ensuring safety is important for anyone in the vicinity of your sharps container. Therefore, an ergonomic design that prioritises the well-being of healthcare professionals and patients is ideal. 

Other features you should consider including within your chosen sharps disposal bin include:

• Clear, easy-to-read labelling - Using sharps containers with clear and easy-to-read labelling ensures the instructions for disposing of hazardous waste are easy to follow, reducing the risk of infection or injury.
• Temporary closure - As there is a risk of injury when disposing of sharps waste, a temporary closure feature prevents unauthorised access to your sharps containers, further limiting the probability of injury from occurring.
• Wide openings - Wide apertures make disposing and segregating clinical sharps waste easier - particularly for areas with larger sharps instruments such as theatre.
• Secure carry handles - Secure carry handles make your sharps disposal containers easy to carry when disposal is required, ensuring they can be moved without the need to touch the base itself.
• Containers that support Directive 2010/32/EU - Directive 2010/32/EU is a directive adopted to prevent healthcare professionals and patients from succumbing to injuries and bloodborne infections from sharp objects.

We’re pleased to state that our Sharpsafe containers meet all these requirements, providing a range of accessibility and safety features that exceed compliance needs without compromising on cost or calibre. They also meet the requirements set out in ISO 23907-1:2019, which specifies the requirements for single-use sharps containers intended to hold potentially hazardous sharps medical waste.

As well as ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals, these features also make waste disposal easier, encouraging proper safety protocols to reduce the risk of sharps injuries.

Balancing Budget and Quality

Different healthcare facilities operate with varying budgets. However, whilst cost is likely to be a factor, sharps containers made from high-quality materials are imperative, having a direct impact on safety when disposing of sharps waste.

You should assess the volume of waste that is expected to be produced within a specific time frame - once measured, you can then make a decision as to the type of container to use. Larger or multiple sharps containers may be more cost-effective and safety-conscious for healthcare settings producing a greater amount of waste. On the other hand, smaller containers may be preferable for individual caring requirements or a community setting.

At Vernacare, we manufacture a wide range of high-quality Sharpsafe disposal containers, with a variety of different sizes available. Our sharps bins are specifically designed to reduce the risk of infection and prevent sharps injuries. This means that you will be able to find something suitable for your needs within our collection.

Regardless of the type of sharps disposal bin used, it’s important that your container is made from high-quality puncture-resistant materials, preventing the risk of sharps injuries from occurring. The containers you choose should also meet the regulations set out by the UN3291, a mandatory requirement that legislates the disposal and transportation of hazardous waste.

Going Green: Sustainable Sharps Disposal Techniques

Environmental considerations have become increasingly important within the medical industry, prompting many healthcare procurers to purchase sustainable products. Not only do these items help to promote an environmentally friendly ethos, but they also enhance safety and regulatory compliance.

When acquiring new sharps containers, sustainability is likely to be a key consideration in your decision-making process.

At Vernacare, we’re pleased to announce our commitment to sustainability, with our 5th Generation Sharpsafe containers being our most green sharps disposal containers yet. These disposal bins are manufactured from up to 100% recycled material in their bases, without compromising on safety or quality. 

The bases of these items and their supported accessories are made from a form of grey recycled plastic, helping to reduce our CO2 emissions by 2,500 tonnes in just three years. Our 5th generation Sharpsafe disposal boxes are ideal for sustainably-minded healthcare professionals, without compromising the safety considerations of previous container generations. 

For more information about our sustainable ethos, please see our dedicated Sustainability page.

Find the Perfect Sharps Disposal Container with Vernacare

When working in the healthcare sector, choosing the right sharps disposal container is a crucial part of the procurement process. At Vernacare, we understand the importance of selecting products that meet the criteria laid out in this blog.

By prioritising these factors, healthcare professionals and facilities can confidently choose sharps disposal solutions that align with their operational values and needs. Our range of Sharpsafe bins combine durability with sustainability, with a large selection of sizes and needs represented within our collection. 

 If you’d like to find out more, please visit our dedicated Sharpsafe page.