Harm reduction providers should, as a matter of course, include environmental cleanup of syringe litter and paraphernalia in and around where they provide services. The benefits of providing this kind of cleanup cannot be overstated. Not only will you be able to prevent needlestick injury in the community, you’ll also create goodwill with neighbors and others.

In order to do this properly, workers should never handle used sharps or supplies with bare hands. Instead, they should wear medical or work gloves and use tongs or other tools to pick up each syringe or piece of litter, one at a time, putting them in a sharps container. Workers should also wear gloves.