Throw the contaminated sharp into a sharps container, preferably immediately after use. This container will be puncture resistant and is usually red with a bio-hazard sign. A contaminated sharps is defined as a sharp object that has become contaminated with body fluid (most likely in a hospital setting) or a microbe (such as bacteria in a lab setting).
Place any items associated with contaminated sharps, such as needle-free syringes, also in the sharps container, according to the College of Southern Nevada. Items not associated with contamination, such as gloves, tubes, etc., should be placed in the regular trash and not in the sharps container. Other items associated with contamination, such as petri dishes (used to grow bacteria), should be placed in other designated hazardous waste trash, usually a red plastic bag.
Close the sharps container once the container is full; do not overfill the sharps container to the point where it won't close. Make sure it is closed securely and placed in an area designated for sharps pick up. Most universities and hospitals have a protocol in place, such as having a safety inspector or another designated person responsible for picking up the sharps container and disposing of the contents properly. This person will autoclave the container to kill any bacteria before placing the container in the trash. The autoclave places the sharps container in a high temperature environment where the bacteria cannot survive.