DSNY Raises Fine for Improper Needle Disposal to $250

What happened

The NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has raised the fine for improperly throwing out household medical sharps from $100 to $250, amNY reported on 11/11/2026. The article says the higher penalty took effect the week of publication. A DSNY social media post quoted in the same article describes the department as "taking steps" to raise the fine, so the exact start date is not clear from the material. The $100 fine had been in place since 2022.

DSNY says the increase is a response to rising needle-stick injuries among sanitation workers. The department reports 73 needle-stick injuries so far this year, nearly double the 37 recorded in all of 2024. DSNY said each incident typically requires an emergency room visit, antiviral medication, lab testing and a consultation with an infectious disease physician. Workers generally stay on medical leave until the side effects of their medication wear off. DSNY spokesperson Vincent Gragnani told amNY that the fines are being increased to protect workers and that safe, legal disposal is easy and straightforward.

The fine applies to items used to give medication that could puncture or cut workers, including syringes with needles attached and intravenous tubing, when they are thrown out with residential garbage. Under city rules, residents must put used syringes, needles, scalpels, lancets and other sharp medical objects in a sharps container or another leak-proof, puncture-resistant container, such as an empty laundry detergent bottle. The container must be securely sealed, labeled "home sharps" and placed in the trash. Residents can also bring used sharps to hospitals and nursing homes throughout the state, to SAFE Disposal Events, and to pharmaceutical and sharps drop-off locations. DSNY suggests calling ahead to confirm hours and locations.

DSNY has also launched a public education campaign on proper disposal. It is expanding the use of containers and mechanized collection to cut lifting injuries. All low-density residential trash must now go in official NYC Bins, which work with mechanized tippers being gradually installed on trucks. Higher-density buildings are getting Empire Bins, which are emptied into automated side-loading trucks. DSNY warned that sharps, batteries and chemical solvents thrown out improperly can endanger workers. More information is at nyc.gov/dsny.