Federal Way’s Only Sharps Drop Box Closed

Federal Way residents who use needles at home lost the city’s only 24/7 public sharps disposal box when it closed on March 27, according to the Federal Way Mirror. The closure also affected Auburn’s public round-the-clock sharps box, the newspaper reported. King County guidance says used needles, syringes and lancets should not go in household garbage, and the county’s hazardous waste collection sites do not accept them. (federalwaymirror.com) The change has left people who rely on insulin, other injectable medicines or lancets with fewer nearby disposal options. (kingcounty.gov) King County’s public-health guidance says residents should use a secure drop box, ask a doctor’s office or pharmacy whether it accepts sharps, or use a mail-back service if no drop-off site is nearby. (federalwaymirror.com) Federal Way’s city website directs residents with hazardous waste questions to nearby county collection sites, but county rules separately say sharps are excluded from those household hazardous-waste facilities. ### When did Federal Way lose its only 24/7 sharps box? March 27 was the closing date for the Federal Way container, the Federal Way Mirror reported on May 15. The paper said the box had been the city’s only public round-the-clock option for used needles, syringes and lancets. (federalwaymirror.com) Auburn also lost its 24/7 public sharps box the same day, according to the Mirror. The article said Federal Way residents who had depended on the site were left to look outside the city or use mail-based disposal. ### If hazardous waste sites are nearby, why can’t residents use them for needles? King County says sharps “should never go in the garbage” and are “not accepted at the household hazardous waste sites.” The county says the items can pose a serious health risk to waste workers. (kingcounty.gov) King County’s disposal-facilities page lists sites in Seattle, Bellevue and Auburn and says there is no fee for household hazardous-waste drop-off, but that page does not override the county’s separate sharps rule excluding needles and syringes. (federalwaymirror.com) The county instead routes residents to its sharps-disposal guidance page for legal disposal options. ### What options are left for someone in Federal Way? King County’s public-health guidance says residents outside Seattle should first look for a local drop-box location and, if none is nearby, consider a mail-back service. The same page says residents can also call a doctor’s office or local pharmacy to ask whether it accepts sharps. (kingcounty.gov) The Federal Way Mirror reported that some residents now must travel to Tukwila for disposal. The paper also said mail-back programs are among the remaining alternatives for people who need regular needle disposal. That means the practical choices now are more limited and may require either travel or advance planning. (kingcounty.gov) ### Who is pressing for a replacement or more access? Jan Barber, identified by the Federal Way Mirror as an advocate, and Federal Way City Council President Susan Honda are pressing county and city leaders for more disposal options and better education, the paper reported. The city’s official council page identifies Honda as council president, and a separate city profile says she was appointed to the post in February 2026. (kingcounty.gov) The Mirror said ideas under discussion include adding sharps collection to city recycling events and improving public information about legal disposal. Those proposals have not yet produced a new Federal Way drop box, based on the sources reviewed. (federalwaymirror.com) ### Where can residents check the current rules now? King County’s sharps-disposal page is the main public source for current rules, drop-box guidance and contact information. The county lists Environmental Health Services at 206-263-9566 for sharps questions, and its hazardous-waste help line at 206-296-4692 for disposal-program questions. (federalwaymirror.com) As of May 17, 2026, Federal Way’s city website still points residents generally to nearby hazardous-waste collection resources, while King County’s sharps pages say needles and syringes require separate handling. Any next step on a new Federal Way collection option appears to rest with city and county officials now being pressed by Honda and Barber. (federalwaywa.gov) (kingcounty.gov) (federalwaymirror.com)