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Since 1998, Ottawa Public Health’s (OPH) Community Needle Retrieval program has focused on providing accessible, safe options for individuals who need to dispose of needles, whether for medical or other personal uses. At the direction of the City, and in collaboration with City departments, community groups, and residents, the program also addresses discarded needles and drug use equipment by ensuring they are safely recovered and disposed of.
Integrated strategies to collect discarded drug use equipment in our communities
Ottawa Public Health, along with numerous City and community partners, implements a variety of measures to provide safer options for disposing of drug use equipment and recovering items that have been discarded in the community. As a result, all drug use equipment retrieved by the City's integrated strategies are safely disposed as biohazard waste.
| What is being done? |
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The City's integrated strategies to retrieve drug use equipment coordinates the effort of approximately 60 internal and external partners who represent six distinct retrieval streams. Needle Hunters – Daily crews patrol the communities of Lowertown, Sandy Hill, Centertown, Somerset W, Hintonburg, Carlington and Vanier to retrieve needles that have been discarded in public spaces. City of Ottawa staff – With the coordinated support of several City departments, City staff respond to requests for retrieval anywhere on City property with a priority response. Residents can request this service by calling 3-1-1. Needle drop boxes – With over 80 24/7 publicly accessible locations across the city, needle drop boxes make disposing of drug use equipment convenient and safe. Harm reduction services and partner agencies – Dedicated to people who use drugs, approximately 45 agencies across the city are available to accept returns of needles and other drug use equipment. Household Hazardous Waste Depots – Hosting multiple events throughout the year, Household Hazardous Waste Depots collect all kinds of waste that cannot be collected in the regular waste stream, including medical sharps, and drug use equipment Sharps kits are available to equip those individuals with the appropriate tools and training to reinforce personal safety while retrieving needles and other drug use equipment. |
| Sharps Kit Pilot Program |
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Ottawa Public Health is committed to supporting the safety of residents who are collecting needles on private property and those individuals going above and beyond by retrieving discarded drug use equipment in the community. In recognition of the community’s existing efforts, sharps kits are available to equip those individuals with the appropriate tools and training to reinforce personal safety while retrieving needles and drug use equipment. What is included in a sharps kit?Sharps kits contain the full set of tools required for safely retrieving discarded needles and drug use equipment. They include instructions covering safe handling and disposal, needle drop box locations, and what to do in case of a needle stick injury. Contents:
How do I access a sharps kit?Sharps kits are available for pick-up from participating locations.
If you would like to request kits for a community clean-up event, please contact healthsante@ottawa.ca. Is there a cost?Sharps kits are supplied by Ottawa Public Health and distributed at partner sites. They are available at no cost. Are sharps kits for everyone?Sharps kits are to support the safety of residents who are collecting needles on private property and those individuals going above and beyond by retrieving discarded drug use equipment in the community. Businesses such as tattoo parlours and veterinary clinics that create biohazard waste cannot request a sharps kit for their own operations. For these instances, they must source their own disposal solutions. How many sharps kits can I request at once?An individual may collect up to three sharps kits at a time. A larger container can be requested if required. Please speak to the attendant about your needs If you would like to request kits for a community clean-up event, please contact healthsante@ottawa.ca. Where can I dispose of sharps kits?Sharps kits can be disposed at any needle drop box across the city. See the needle retrieval services map the location nearest you. Sharps kits, like needles, are biohazard waste and cannot be disposed in a garbage or recycling bin. If I retrieve drug use equipment myself, how will the City be aware of the amount being discarded in my neighbourhood?Ottawa Public Health relies on reporting from all retrieval streams for program service-planning. When you retrieve discarded needles and drug use equipment, report it through the drug use equipment reporting form. Your reporting identifies the activity in your community. I have a question that wasn’t answered on this page. Who do I speak to?Review the Community Needle Retrieval Program webpage for more information on:
For additional guidance on the safe retrieval of needles and drug use equipment you may speak with the attendant at a participating sharps kit distribution location. All other questions may be directed to Ottawa Public Health at healthsante@ottawa.ca. |
| Responsibility for needles found on private property |
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Property owners are responsible for removing discarded needles and drug use equipment from their property.
For additional resources, please visit the Mental Health, Addictions and Substance Use Health Business Support Toolkit. The toolkit is here to support local businesses and their dedicated employees, with a suite of practical resources designed to enhance safety, health, and overall community well-being. |
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How is OPH working to improve mental health, substance use health and well-being in our community? |
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OPH is one of many organizations with roles in addressing mental health and substance use. An OPH foundational task is monitoring and evaluating health status and impacts to help inform policy makers and community and health partners in their work. OPH also helps to convene partners and promote coordination. As well, OPH works to provide partners and the public with timely access to information, communications and alerts about emerging trends and issues. A key part of OPH’s work is prevention of harm by supporting and fostering resilient communities that support children and youth. OPH’s training to reduce stigma and OPH's harm reduction strategies that engage people who use drugs are activities that can result in more people linked to care and treatment. Lastly, OPH coordinates the Ontario Naloxone Program locally and helps to protect the community through programs such as needle retrieval and disposal. Ottawa Public Health operates the Harm Reduction Program that provides sterile injection and inhalation devices to promote safer drug use practices. The main goal of this program is to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, primarily HIV and Hepatitis C, and minimize the risks associated with substance use in the greater community. Our Public Health professionals also educate intravenous drug users on how to safely dispose of needles, sharps containers and other biohazards; as well as provide general health information and connect people to community support. For more information, please visit the Harm Reduction Program webpage. |
Safe handling and disposal information
If you find a discarded needle, glass pipe or other drug use equipment, you have two options to have it safely disposed.
1. Call 3-1-1 to dispatch City staff to retrieve the item(s).or
2. Dispose of the item(s) yourself in a needle drop box.
- Step 1: Follow the safe handling and disposal instructions below.
- Step 2: Find the needle drop box nearest you. See the needle retrieval services map for the full list of locations.
- Step 3: Report the details of what you disposed to Ottawa Public Health through the drug use equipment reporting form.
| Identifying drug use equipment |
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The Community Needle Retrieval Program retrieves all forms of drug use equipment and any other everyday items that are suspected of being used to consume substances. Everyday items are suspected of substance use when they are found alongside other drug use equipment like needles and glass pipes. Watch the safe retrieval training module or visit the Ontario Harm Reduction Program webpage to learn how to identify drug use equipment in the community. Drug use equipment is handled with precaution and treated as biohazard waste because of the potential that the item has come into contact with bodily fluids. While Ottawa Public Health takes every possible precaution to remove drug use equipment from public spaces, it is important to note that the risk of transmission of a blood borne pathogen from drug use equipment found in the community, such as needles, is very low. For more information visit What to do in the case of a needle stick injury and what are the risks? |
| How to safely handle and dispose of needles and drug use equipment |
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Review the safe handling and disposal guidelines and training module for detailed instructions on how to dispose of needles and drug use equipment - Printable instructions (pdf - 348 KB) Materials required
Instructions
Children should never touch needles, glass pipes or other drug use equipment. If a child finds drug use equipment, teach them to report it to a trusted adult who can arrange for the item to be dealt with safely. Training module |
| Where to dispose of needles and drug use equipment |
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Disposing of needles, drug use equipment, or medical waste in the garbage or recycling is illegal (By-law 2012-370 Schedule G - Prohibited Material). The City, along with its partners, offers accessible options for the proper disposal of biohazard waste. Please refer to the list of safe disposal options below. Option 1: Needle drop boxes Needle drop boxes provide Ottawa residents with secure and tamper-proof drop boxes located at approximately 80 locations across the city to allow for the safe and convenient disposal of needles, drug use equipment and medical waste. See the needle retrieval services map below to find the needle drop box nearest you. Needle drop boxes are not available for commercial use and businesses that create biohazard waste in their general day-to-day operations must source their own disposal solutions. Option 2: Harm reduction partner agencies Dedicated to people who use drugs, there are approximately 45 partner agencies in Ottawa who encourage and accept returns of drug use equipment. Visit OPH’s Harm Reduction webpage for a list of participating partners. Option 3: Participating pharmacies of the HPSA take-back program Sharp containers for safely disposing of medical waste can be collected and returned to pharmacies participating in the Health Products Stewardship Association's free take-back program. Visit the HPSA website to find the nearest participating pharmacy. Option 4: Household hazardous waste event days The City’s Solid Waste Services host several events throughout the year where members of the public can drop off their waste at a Household Hazardous Waste Depot. Find the next event date on the Hazardous Waste and Special Items webpage. |
| Reporting what you retrieve to Ottawa Public Health |
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The Community Needle Retrieval Program manages the collection data for the City of Ottawa’s integrated response to discarded needles. Reports from residents and business owners who recover and dispose discarded drug use equipment on their own accord play a vital role in the collection data. Data analyses and community feedback guide the program and the allocation of services. Advise Ottawa Public Health when you have personally retrieved and disposed of a needle or glass pipe by using the drug use equipment reporting form. Instructions on how to use the webform coming soon. |
| What to do in the case of a needle stick injury and what are the risks? |
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What to do in the case of a needle stick injury The following instructions also apply to injuries occurring from other potentially contaminated objects in the community - printable instructions (pdf - 118 KB). This document is currently not in an accessible format. An accessible version will be available shortly. Instructions:
What are the risks associated with needle stick injuries that have occurred from community exposure? When a needlestick injury occurs, concerns arise about exposure to blood-borne viruses, particularly human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). The risk of getting these viruses via a community needle stick injury is extremely low and can be further reduced with prompt medical attention. If previously vaccinated for hepatitis B, the risk of HBV transmission is virtually zero, and individuals are encouraged to ensure they are up to date on this and other vaccines The risk of transmission of HIV, HBV and HCV via a needle stick injury acquired in a community setting is far less than in a healthcare setting because:
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Community Needle Retrieval Services Map
The needle retrieval services map shares the locations of services administered by the program including needle hunter walking routes, needle drop boxes and the locations of partners who distribute sharps kits.
Community Needle Retrieval Dashboard
OPH’s needle retrieval dashboard reflects our commitment to transparency, offering the community a clear view of all needle retrieval efforts. OPH plays an active role in supporting a healthier, safer community, in line with the City’s goals for enhanced community support.
| Frequently asked questions |
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Why was the dashboard created? The dashboard was created to,
How often is the data updated? The data is updated based on the reporting frequency of each retrieval stream.
How is the data used? The data is used by the Community Needle Retrieval Program to monitor evolving community needs and program service planning. The data also informs partners and volunteers of local activity who are dedicated to retrieving discarded drug use equipment in the community. Is medical waste included in the data reported through the dashboard Yes, the Community Needle Retrieval Program aims to safely dispose of all personal drug use equipment, including medical waste, as biohazard waste in an environmentally responsible manner. Data from the household hazardous waste and needle drop box streams include both medical needles and those used for substance consumption. While other retrieval streams may also collect small amounts of medical waste, their primary focus is on waste from substance use. I have suggestions or feedback on the dashboard. Who can I contact? If you would like to make a suggestion or provide feedback on the dashboard, please contact healthsante@ottawa.ca. |
| How to use the dashboard |
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The dashboard is available at the end of this webpage for use by anyone with an internet connection. For the best experience, it is recommended that you view the dashboard using a desktop computer or a tablet with a keyboard. Before viewing the data for the first time please, 1. Read through the Methodology and Data Sources page which shares information required for interpreting the data. 2. Access the user guide for detailed instructions on navigating the dashboard. 3. Bookmark this webpage to your web browser for future use. |
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Accessing datasets |
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The datasets that feed the dashboard are shared for download through Open Ottawa. To access the datasets, 1. Open the datasets on Open Ottawa by selecting the links below. 2. Read through the ‘Full details’ of each dataset that you wish to download. 3. Select ‘Download’ once and then select ‘Download’ again to choose the desired file format. |
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