RENFREW COUNTY (Pembroke) — On August 28, members of the Upper Ottawa Valley Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to two separate incidents of improperly discarded needles in public spaces in the City of Pembroke. Approximately 60 syringes were located and safely disposed of by police. The needles were found on a walking trail that connects Mary Street and Forced Road and also on cemetery property at the corner of James Street and Villa Street.
Syringes and needles, also known as sharps, need to be disposed of properly. Do not place sharps in the garbage or recycling. The Renfrew County District Health Unit and most pharmacies offer sharps containers and disposal services free of charge. The City of Pembroke also offers community needle drop boxes at three locations:
- Douglas Street at Lea Street
- OATC clinic at 156 John Street
- Waterfront Park washrooms on Alexander Street
A diagram of these locations is attached.
The Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre also accepts sharps at their hazardous waste depot and at environment day locations. Sharps must be packaged in a rigid, unbreakable container (i.e. plastic bottle), sealed and labeled needles or sharps container.
This is how you can safely get rid of found sharps:
- Do not try to put the cap back on the needle.
- Do not snap, break, or bend any part of the needle.
- Wear gloves and pick the needle up carefully using tongs or long-nosed pliers
- Put the needle in a hard PLASTIC container (empty peanut butter jar, pop or water bottle). Seal it tightly and label it “needle” or “sharps”. Do not use a glass container as it could break.
You can also contact the City of Pembroke at 613-735-6821 ext. 1501 and they will attend and properly dispose of the needles if the needles are found on public property. A number of Parks & Recreation Department employees are trained to properly handle and dispose of sharps.
For further information on how to safely dispose of sharps contact the Renfrew County District Health unit at 1-800-267-1097.
