Sharps containers are seen throughout medical facilities. Sharps containers hold used medical needles and sharp medical instruments and contain them for disposal. Sharps containers provide a barrier between the sharp objects and the medical staff and patients. Sharps containers are available in a wide range of sizes from 1 quart to 30 gallons. Many sharps containers lock to prevent used needles from being reused.

Sharps containers are commonly mounted on a wall, door, or counter to provide a convenient place for healthcare providers to quickly dispose of a used needle. This also helps reduce accidental injury from needle-sticks. Sharps containers provide a safe disposal repository that decreases the chance of blood-borne infections being to be spread. After sharps containers are full, they can be disposed by several different ways. Here are a few common sharps disposal options: hazardous collection services, mail-back services, and community hazardous waste services