What sharps container do razor blades go in?
Which container a razor blade goes in is set by local solid-waste rules, and they differ. Most agencies below never name razor blades. The one that does — Ada County, Idaho — groups them with needles as household sharps.
| Container or rule | Source and jurisdiction | What it is specified for, as named | Construction and closure as published | Capacity | Price at retrieval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contaminated-sharps container | OSHA letter of interpretation, 2005-03-28, applying 29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(4)(iii)(A), US workplaces | "contaminated sharps, which includes razors used to shave patients in long-term care facilities" | Closable; puncture resistant; leakproof on sides and bottom; labeled or color-coded per paragraph (g)(1)(i); replaced routinely and not allowed to overfill | Not specified by OSHA | — |
| "Sharps waste container" | RCW 70A.228.010(7), Washington State, residential | Statutory "sharps waste" (hypodermic needles, syringes with needles attached, IV tubing with needles attached, scalpel blades, and lancets removed from the original sterile package); razor and utility blades are not enumerated | Leak-proof, rigid, puncture-resistant red container that is taped closed or tightly lidded to prevent loss | Not specified | — |
| Home sharps container | NYC DSNY, New York City | "syringes, needles, scalpels, lancets, and other sharp objects"; razor blades are not named | Leak-proof, puncture-resistant container, such as a laundry detergent bottle; sealed and labeled "HOME SHARPS" | Not specified | — |
| Household sharps container | Wisconsin DNR | "needles and other sharp medical items" (such as needles, syringes, and lancets); razor and utility blades are not mentioned | Hard, puncture-resistant with secure lid or cap (such as thick-walled plastic detergent or bleach bottles); unacceptable: coffee cans, plastic milk jugs, plastic bags, aluminum cans, or soda bottles; visibly labeled "biohazard," "infectious waste," or "sharps," or with the emblem | Collection stations serve generators of less than 50 pounds of sharps per month (including container weight) | — |
| Household sharps container | Kansas KDHE | "medical sharps" (such as needles, syringes, and lancets) at households, offices, churches, schools, and small businesses; not sharps generated by regulated health care providers; razor blades are not mentioned | Sealed, puncture-resistant marked containers (such as bleach, laundry soap, liquid soap, metal container with screw-on lid, or special purchased containers); lid secured with heavy duty tape (ex. duct tape); written "DO NOT RECYCLE - SHARPS" on the container; filled to approximately 2/3 full | Approximately 2/3 full | — |
| Household sharps container | Ada County Landfill, Ada County, Idaho | "household sharps (needles, syringes, and razor blades)" | Rigid plastic container (like an empty laundry soap bottle), lid taped securely, and labeled | Not specified | — |
| Drop-box container limit | King County Public Health, King County WA outside Seattle | "syringes, needles, and lancets"; loose sharps and commercial/health-care sharps are not accepted | Sealed, non-reusable container | Max. size 1.5 quarts, limit of two containers per visit | Free |
| Post Medical 1 Gallon Blade Disposal Container (Part 3301-LPBW-BD) | Amazon retail listing (ASIN B09M8ZWD1T) | "razors, scalpel blades, and other 'edged or bladed' cutting tools" | Yellow cylindrical plastic, locking screw cap, leak-resistant bottom, wall-mount compatible; pre-assembled | 1 gallon (load capacity 4.2 pounds) | $20.00 |
| PHc Blade Bank (Part BB00205) | Amazon retail listing (ASIN B018993QFO) | Razor blades | Hi-vis yellow disposable container; front mount for a blade dispenser; attaches to a post, angle iron, safety ladder, or cart with two supplied nylon zip ties; bracket not included | 750 blades | $12.96 |
| Stanley 11-081 Blade Disposal Container with Rack | HomElectrical distributor listing (SKU STN-11081) | "For utility-knife blades and single-edged razor blades only" | Container with wire rack; weight 2.62 lb | Not published | Not published |
Distinction between medical and non-medical sharps
Stanford University Environmental Health and Safety runs a separate waste route for non-contaminated razor blades, apart from its biohazard streams. Manufacturers build containers for that job specifically. The Stanley 11-081 is specified "For utility-knife blades and single-edged razor blades only," and Pacific Handy Cutter's PHc BB00205 Blade Bank holds 750 blades.
Which rules reach a razor blade
Rules vary by location. Ada County, Idaho groups razor blades with needles as household sharps: rigid plastic container, lid taped securely, labeled, then curbside garbage.
King County Public Health accepts containerized sharps at transfer stations outside Seattle, capped at two 1.5-quart containers per visit. Washington's statutory definition of "sharps waste" under RCW 70A.228.010 lists hypodermic needles, syringes with needles attached, IV tubing with needles attached, scalpel blades, and lancets removed from the original sterile package. Razor blades and utility or box-cutter blades are not on that list. Lancets and scalpel blades are, and the statute conditions lancets only on removal from the sterile package, not on what they were used for — so a lancet is residential sharps waste either way.
Wisconsin bars needles and "other sharp medical items" from the trash, without listing razor blades. Kansas lets households bin needles, syringes, and lancets in sealed, puncture-resistant containers filled to roughly two-thirds and marked "DO NOT RECYCLE - SHARPS." Razor blades go unmentioned there too.
The New York City Department of Sanitation's two sections do not line up. Its medical waste section says putting sharps — scalpel blades, syringes, lancets, needles — in household trash is illegal; its sharps section says to seal home sharps in a labeled "HOME SHARPS" detergent bottle and put that in the trash. Razor blades appear on neither list.
Broken glass, and where razors get recycled
For non-medical glassware, NYC requires double-bagging broken glass. San Francisco Environment Department sends broken glassware to the landfill bin and broken bottles or jars to recycling.
Zero Waste Sonoma's listing names a national mail-back razor recycling programme run by Gillette, CVS and TerraCycle, and states that package contents must be completely dry prior to shipping.
OSHA's rules are workplace rules
OSHA requirements apply only to workplaces. Restating a scenario put to it in a 2005 letter of interpretation, OSHA records that some state environmental and public health agencies have advised that disposable razors used for personal grooming should not be considered infectious or otherwise regulated medical waste and should instead go to the regular waste stream. That is not OSHA's holding. OSHA's own position is that its requirements protect workers during the containment, storage, and transport of contaminated sharps, which includes razors used to shave patients in long-term care facilities, and it defers final disposition to state regulations.
Where to buy
Sources
- New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) - Medical Waste
- New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) - Metal, Glass, Plastic, & Cartons
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- Washington State Legislature
- Ada County Landfill
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE)
- King County Public Health
- San Francisco Environment Department
- Stanford University Environmental Health & Safety
- Zero Waste Sonoma
- HomElectrical
- Amazon (Post Medical Container)
- Amazon (PHc Blade Bank)
Specifications last verified: 2026-08-01