Federal Way’s sharps disposal container is closed

Published 1:30 am Friday, May 15, 2026

The only public 24/7 sharps disposal containers in Federal Way and Auburn closed on March 27, leaving Federal Way residents who depended on it to find somewhere else to dispose of used needles, syringes and lancets.

These sharps are dangerous when they end up in the general waste stream, endangering workers who could get pricked by needles and get exposed to blood-borne viruses like HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

Having safe needle disposal sites can reduce the risk of needles entering this waste stream or getting left behind in parks or other public places.

Those who use needles to administer personal medications are instructed by public health to package them in a hard plastic container, label that, then dispose of them at an approved collection site.

In nearby Seattle in 2025 alone, 661,105 sharps were collected from the 23 sharps disposal boxes spread throughout the city.

Outside of Seattle, there are now only four locations in King County: Tukwila, Bellevue, Shoreline and Vashon.

When asked for resources for sharps disposal for people in Federal Way, Sharon Bogan of Seattle and King County Public Health told the Mirror via email that they should utilize Bow Lake Recycling and Transfer Station in Tukwila. A new South County Recycling and Transfer Station in Algona will open later this year — but it won’t be accepting sharps disposal.

She added that “some healthcare providers and pharmacies also accept sharps for disposal” and that “mail-back programs are also available and provide a safe and convenient at-home disposal option.”

This vague advice is also repeated on the King County Public Health’s personal sharps disposal page. But while the Mirror was able to find two free mail-back programs for pre-loaded injectable medications, no mail-back programs that accept needles or syringes could be found.

Federal Way’s sharps disposal was located at Federal Way Public Health Center, 33431 13th Place S.

Bogan told the Mirror that the sharps disposal container in Federal Way was closed because it “presented ongoing safety and operational challenges.”

Specifically, “the site experienced excessive dumping from external organizations and improper disposal of materials — including non-sharps waste such as medications — despite clear signage. This created risks for residents, clinic staff, and waste handling personnel.”

That model was found to not be safe or sustainable to continue, Bogan said.

In the discussion around sharps, there are many individuals who use needles for the injection of prescribed medications, including insulin for diabetes and the growing usage of GLP1 drugs.

There are also individuals who use needles and are also unhoused, with some using sharps for prescribed medication and others for illegal drugs.

Drug use trends have shifted away from heroin, which is typically injected, to the more common fentanyl, which is more typically consumed by inhaling smoke burned on a piece of tinfoil, according to public health data. This has greatly reduced the number of needles found out in the community and in the region.

In Federal Way in particular, both the parks director John Hutton and volunteer members of Stand Up Federal Way, who do encampment cleanups, confirmed this trend in the community.

Even as this trend shifts, the need for a safe way to dispose of needles is still necessary, as Federal Way community member Jan Barber knows too well. Since seeing the sign about the imminent closure of the Federal Way’s sharps disposal location in March, Barber has been advocating for the need for safe disposal, and has been asking for help from local leaders to find resources.

Barber has attended public health meetings, reached out to local King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer, and has spoken at Federal Way City Council. She has contacted local pharmacies and hospitals and the Federal Way Police Department, South King Fire, Lakehaven, the Insurance Commissioner, King County Public Libraries and more.

In her research, many of the contacts she’s reached out to for help have asked her to share an update with them once she finds an answer, she said.

As just one example, Barber told the Mirror that when she went to a clinic at a local hospital to ask if they accepted sharps, the administrator she talked to told her they had never accepted sharps, but shared that his child is diabetic and he is looking for information too. Barber said he actually gave her his email address to let him know what she found out.

Federal Way City Council president Susan Honda told the Mirror this is an important topic, and in her opinion, it is something the state should be leading on. She said she’s going to work with the rest of the council and the mayor to try to find a temporary solution for the community.

In a conversation with Honda and Barber, they brainstormed some potential city-level solutions, including ideas like sharing more education about the resources that do exist, adding sharps collection to other city-sponsored recycling events, giving away free approved sharps collection containers at city events, and making sure that all of this is done in an accessible way, ideally in multiple languages.

Looking further into the future, Honda said that insurance companies and medical professionals should also be involved with education and support around disposing of sharps safely.