Effort Part Of Harm Reduction Program
Rockbridge Recovery has installed a new 24hour community sharps disposal box at 1809 Magnolia Ave. in Buena Vista, giving residents a safe, anonymous, and around-the-clock option for disposing of used needles, syringes, lancets, and other sharps.
The box is the latest expansion of Rockbridge Recovery’s Harm Reduction Program and represents a tangible step toward protecting public health, supporting people who use drugs, and keeping improperly discarded sharps out of trash cans, parks, and waterways.
The stainless-steel disposal box is designed for accepted items only — needles, syringes, connection needles, lancets, infusion sets, EpiPens, and insulin pens — all of which must be placed inside a sealed, punctureresistant container before disposal. The unit is locked, tamper-resistant, and serviced regularly by trained Rockbridge Recovery staff who follow biohazard handling protocols.
“Safe sharps disposal is one of the simplest, highest-impact harm reduction tools a community can offer,” said Sarah Shepherd, services specialist at Rockbridge Recovery. “Whether someone is managing diabetes, treating an allergy with an EpiPen, or using injection drugs, everyone deserves a safe place to dispose of sharps without fear, stigma, or judgment. This box protects sanitation workers, keeps kids and pets safer in our neighborhoods, and meets people where they are.”
The sharps disposal box joins a suite of services offered through Rockbridge Recovery’s Harm Reduction Program, which is built on the public-health principle that reducing the risks associated with drug use saves lives and creates pathways to recovery. Harm reduction services help prevent overdose deaths, slow the spread of HIV and hepatitis C, reduce community sharps litter, and connect participants with treatment, healthcare, and peer support — on their timeline, when they are ready.
Decades of publichealth research show that communities with accessible harm reduction services see lower rates of infectious disease, fewer improperly discarded needles in public spaces, and higher rates of entry into substance use treatment. Sharps disposal boxes specifically reduce needle-stick injuries among sanitation workers, law enforcement, and the general public.
How to Use the Sharps Box
• Place all sharps inside a rigid, punctureresistant container with a secure lid — such as an FDA-approved sharps container or an empty laundry detergent or bleach bottle. Rockbridge Recovery has puncture-resistant bags available free of charge for anyone who needs one.
• Do not use bags, water bottles, milk jugs, soda cans, or glass bottles, which can break or be punctured.
• Drop the sealed container through the chute. The box accepts needles, syringes, lancets, infusion sets, EpiPens, and insulin pens.
• Do not deposit prescription medications, aerosol cans, inhalers, liquids, household garbage, or hazardous chemicals.
“Every sharp that goes into this box is one that doesn’t end up on a sidewalk, in a park, or in a landfill where someone could get hurt,” Shepherd added. “This is what compassionate, evidence-based public health looks like — and it belongs to the whole community.”
