VERMILION COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — The Vermilion County Health Department is launching a program that will allow residents to safely dispose of sharps.

The Residential Sharps Collection Program is funded by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s Residential Sharps Collection Program grant.

“We receive many calls from residents asking how to properly dispose of sharps,” said Jana Messmore, Director of Environmental Health. “Improper disposal can lead to accidental needlesticks or injuries to sanitation workers. We are thrilled to offer this much needed service to our community.”

Here’s how you can participate:

There’s a sharps collection kiosk outside the front doors of the Vermilion County Health Department. Residents can drop off these items:

• Needles
• Syringes
• Connection needles
• Lancets
• Infusion sets
• EpiPens
• Insulin pens

The health department said that loose sharps will not be accepted. And, all donated sharps need to be in puncture-resistant, non-see-through, capped containers (like an empty laundry detergent bottle).

For more information about the new program, call 217-431-2662, option 5.