Workers at a north-east recycling centre have revealed images of the mound of “hazardous” needles they have had to pluck out from piles of rubbish.
Hypodermic needles and syringes are commonly found at Aberdeen City Council’s recycling depot in Altens, and staff have now appealed for people to dispose of the items safely.
Employees have to manually remove the sharp objects from the conveyor belt, and get rid of any material which has been in contact with them as the rest of the “contaminated” load is deemed unfit to be recycled.
The council and Alcohol and Drugs Action (ADA) have now advised the public of different avenues they can use to safely bin their needles.
A city council spokesman said: “People in Aberdeen have responded brilliantly to the massive investment and improvements we have made in recycling in recent years.
“However, people can do even more to help reduce contamination still further.
“Staff at the materials recovery facility continue to find hazardous materials disposed of incorrectly.
“These include needles, nappies, dog waste, batteries and lighters – which are not recyclables and result in staff having to undertake the unpleasant task of picking these out manually.
“We would ask residents to take a moment to ensure that they are using the appropriate disposal methods.
“In particular, it is extremely important that needles are disposed of safely and appropriately in sharps bins.
“GP practices and pharmacists offer this, while needle exchange facilities are also available.”
Fraser Hoggan, chief executive of ADA, said people can drop in at its Hadden Street base every day of the week to safely dispose of their needles.
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He also emphasised the potential health hazards of not correctly binning the objects.
Mr Hoggan said: “Disposing of these sharps in recycling bins can have some potential risks like experiencing a needle prick injury – which we would want to avoid.
“We offer our needle exchange service in the city centre seven days a week.
“People can return sharps to us, and also have the benefit of having a conversation with out staff.
“We can help them access clean equipment if they need it and also link them to other services.”
