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Needle Collection Programs
Contact the Biomedical Waste Program
Find help in disposing of needles from your home.
Needle collection programs can help you in disposing of needles, syringes with needles, and lancets that have been used by you or a family member in the treatment at home of an allergy, acute illness, or chronic disease, such as diabetes.
These programs are county-specific, so contact your county contact person for more information. If your county is not listed, contact us for assistance.
Starting a Sharps Collection Program
To implement a sharps collection program in your facility, you will need:
- Complete and submit an application for Biomedical Waste Needle Collection Program Permit to the local county health department. There is no fee charged for this permit, as it is a service to the community.
- Written operating plan. If the facility currently has one for their biomedical waste generator's permit, it can be amended to include the operating procedures for the collection site.
- Biomedical waste training for any personnel handling the biomedical waste.
- Log of the biomedical waste received (containers of sharps), including the date the waste was received, a description of what was received (the number of containers of sharps), and the name of the staff member completing the entry on the log.
- Sharps collection containers may be actual sharps containers or heavy duty detergent bottles, or similar.
- Filled sharps containers must be disposed in compliance with Chapter 64E-16, Florida Administrative Code.
Implementing such a program is fairly simple, especially if it is operated at an existing biomedical waste generating facility.
If you have any questions regarding the process, contact the Florida Department of Health at AskEh@FLhealth.gov, 850-245-4250, or through your local biomedical waste coordinator.
Program Contacts
Lee Coates
DOH-Alachua, Environmental Health Section
352-334-7934
See Nassau
Kiana Yangson
Joseph Scully
DOH-Bay, Environmental Health Section
850-481-4812
See Alachua
Margaret Hansotte
Cynthia Leckey
DOH-Brevard, Environmental Health Services
321-633-2100
Glendoline "Glen" Johnson
DOH-Broward, Environmental Health Section
954-412-7335
See Liberty
Peter Fiore
DOH-Charlotte, Environmental Health Services
941-624-7200, ext. 7375
Jacyln Bell
DOH-Citrus, Environmental Health Services
352-527-0068
Phyllis C. Barnett R.S.
DOH-Clay, Environmental Health Section
904-529-3789
Lorraine W. Thompson
DOH-Collier, Environmental Health Section
239-252-5514
Ed Lontz
Columbia Solid Waste
Inah Williams
DOH-Dade, Environmental Health Section
305-623-3505
Mario Mendez
DOH-DeSoto, Environmental Health Section
863-993-4601, ext. 115
Dixie
Elizabeth Powers
DOH-Dixie, Environmental Health Section
352-498-1360
Jeimylee Camacho-Lugo
DOH-Duval, Environmental Health Section
904-253-2570
Emily Walker
DOH-Escambia, Environmental Health Section
850-823-5838
John Bey
DOH-Flagler, Environmental Health Section
386-437-7358
Franklin
Charles "Brad" Addison
DOH-Franklin, Environmental Health Section
850-653-2113
Gadsden County Public Works
850-510-7784
See Alachua
Brian Prowant
DOH-Glades, Environmental Health Section
863-946-0707, ext. 203
Gulf
Zach Hodges
DOH-Gulf, Environmental Health Section
850-227-1276, ext. 125
See Alachua
Hardee
See Polk
Brian Prowant
DOH-Hendry, Environmental Health Section
863-302-6067
Jacqueline Sampson
DOH-Hernando, Environmental Health Section
352-540-6800, ext. 82042
Jason Wolfe
DOH-Highlands, Environmental Health Section
863-402-6550
John Zaykowski
DOH-Hillsborough, Environmental Health Section
813-599-4401
Holmes
See Washington
Julianne Price
DOH-Indian River, Environmental Health Section
772-794-7441
Jason Hamilton
DOH-Jackson, Environmental Health Section
850-482-9227
Jefferson
Linda McDonald
DOH-Jefferson, Environmental Health Section
850-782-2003
See Alachua
Heather O'Malley
DOH-Lake, Environmental Health Section
352-253-6130, ext. 6263
Ema Rivera
DOH-Lake, Environmental Health Section
239-690-2116
Travis Morris
DOH-Leon, Environmental Health Section
850-895-8369
See Alachua
Liberty
Michael Devuyst
DOH-Liberty, Environmental Health Section
850-643-2415
Brett Peterson
DOH-Manatee, Environmental Health Section
941-242-6643
Alex Peacock
DOH-Marion, Environmental Health Section
352-644-2711
Joyce DeMichael
DOH-Martin, Environmental Health Section
772-221-4090
Monroe
Brandie Peretz
DOH-Monroe, Environmental Health Section
305-293-7500
Ronald Nessler
DOH-Nassau, Environmental Health Section
904-557-9154
Jessica Gottlieb
DOH-Okaloosa, Environmental Health Section
850-301-2013
Okeechobee
Kathy Shorter
DOH-Okeechobee, Environmental Health Section
863-462-5806
Yelitza Jimenez
DOH-Orange, Environmental Health Section
407-723-5225
Carlos Cruz
Jeff Smith
DOH-Osceola, Environmental Health Section
407-742-8606
Drovica Gosein
DOH-Palm Beach, Environmental Health Section
561-837-5900, when prompted, press "7"
Ken Maguire
DOH-Pasco, Environmental Health Section
727-841-4425, ext. 3786
Lisa Frazier
DOH-Pinellas, Environmental Health Division
727-275-6498
Wadeana Beveridge
DOH-Polk, Environmental Health Section
863-519-8330
Cecil Slaughter, EH Manager
DOH-Putnam, Environmental Health Section
386-326-7189
Jessica Gottlieb
DOH-Santa Rosa, Environmental Health Section
850-981-7135
David Macci
DOH-Sarasota, Environmental Health Section
941-861-3310
904-506-6081
Laurie Owens
DOH-St. Lucie, Environmental Health Section
772-873-4870
Raymond Roe
DOH-Seminole, Environmental Health Section
407-665-3613
Eric Witzgall
DOH-Sumter, Environmental Health Section
352-569-3131
See Alachua
Anthony Carter
DOH-Taylor, Environmental Health Section
850-888-6090
See Alachua
Steven Wille
DOH-Volusia, Environmental Health Section
386-274-0544
Linda McDonald
DOH-Wakulla, Environmental Health Section
850-782-2003
See Escambia
Washington
Amanda Baker
DOH-Washington, Environmental Health Section
850-638-6240, ext. 122
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