BidòWhere to throw it › Syringes and needles
Where do syringes and needles go?
Syringes and needles used at home go, with the cap on, in a rigid closed container and then in residual waste (secco residuo), unless the municipality or the pharmacy has a dedicated collection.
What to do
- Put the cap back on the needle and seal everything in a jar or a rigid bottle.
- People who use them every day (for example for insulin) can ask the pharmacy or the local health authority for special containers.
What to avoid
- Never throw away uncapped needles: waste collectors risk pricking themselves.
- Do not put them in plastic.
Why it varies from municipality to municipality
Dedicated collections vary from municipality to municipality. Each municipality chooses with its operator which bins to use and what can go in them.
This page summarises a general, cautious rule: the real rules vary from municipality to municipality and from operator to operator (colour of bags, accepted waste, days, collection points). If in doubt, what your municipality or the service operator indicates prevails.
Check your municipality's rules
Search for your municipality to see the collection calendar, the recycling centre's opening hours and, where available, the link to the official guide.
Other waste
- Nappies and sanitary pads
- Used cooking oil
- Expired medicines
- Used batteries
- Broken glass, mirrors and ceramics
- Light bulbs
- Furniture, mattresses and bulky waste
- Used clothes and shoes
- Coffee capsules and pods
- Pizza boxes
- Polystyrene
- Dog and cat litter
- Small appliances and electronic devices
- Milk and juice cartons (Tetra Pak)
- Aerosol cans
- Disposable masks and gloves
- Plastic bottles
- Glass bottles and jars
- Cans and tins
- Tin foil and aluminium trays
- Cling film
- Plastic plates and cups
- Plastic cutlery
- Compostable plates and cups
- Shopping bags
- Plastic and metal caps
- Corks
- Receipts
- Baking paper
- Paper tissues and napkins
- Dirty and greasy paper
- Wrapping paper
- Coffee grounds and tea bags
- Bones and fish bones
- Mussel and clam shells
- Fireplace and stove ash
- Grass, leaves and prunings
- Christmas trees
- Christmas lights
- Toys
- Toothbrushes
- Pens and markers
- CDs, DVDs and videotapes
- Chewing gum
- Cigarette butts
- Medicine blister packs
- Thermometers
- Mobile phones and chargers
- Cartridges and toner
- Paints and solvents
- Engine oil
- Tyres
- Rubble and debris
- Fruit crates
- Pots and pans
- Umbrellas
- Clothes hangers
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