Town of Wellesley to open sharps disposal kiosk in September

By Evan Allen, Town Correspondent

The town of Wellesley will open up a “sharps” kiosk next month at the Wellesley Fire Department after the state banned disposal of needles, syringes and lancets in household trash.

The ban went into effect on July 1, and prevents residents from disposing of sharps at Wellesley’s Recycling and Disposal Facility or in any trash that is collected by a private trash hauler.

The sharps kiosk in Wellesley will open September 10 and will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The town also holds medication and needle take-back days in the spring and fall, as well as household hazardous products collection days once a year in May.

Sharps should be put in small capped, sturdy, puncture and leak-proof containers like coffee cans. Replacement sharps containers will be available for free at the Fire Department and Health Department for a limited time.

The Health Department, Fire Department and Firefighters Union all collaborated to set up the kiosk.

“I am proud and fortunate to have personnel that are always willing to support the Health Department’s initiatives that enhance services to the residents and reduce the potential of an accidental needle-stick injury to an employee at the RDF,” said Wellesley Fire Chief Rick DeLorie in a press release from the Health Department.

The Fire Department Headquarters is located at 457 Worcester Street.

For more information or to download a sharps disposal brochure, go here.

Evan Allen can be reached at evan.allen@globe.com