Seattle Public Utilities has just released a new video about collecting sharps, in which a Ballard resident is featured picking up sharps in Ballard Commons Park.
Ballard resident Jody Grage is featured in the short video. “I think one of the reasons for the sharps program is people are very anxious when they see needles,” Grage says in the video. “Needles are dangerous for people and pets, and they’re a very visible symbol of some of the dysfunctional aspects of what we’re going through right now.”
The video explains how to use the Find It, Fix It app for reporting needles, and also details safe ways for picking up sharps. They recommend wearing gloves, using tongs, and placing the sharp in a hard plastic container with the point facing down. They can then be dropped in one of nine drop-off locations in Seattle. The closest drop-off to Ballard is Fremont Canal Park (199 N Canal St).
SPU says since the collection program started in 2016, over 9,600 syringes have been collected, and more than 80,000 needles disposed of in the city’s drop-off boxes since February 2017. In 2018, 50,000 needles, syringes, and lancets have been collected.
For more about the city’s sharps collection program, click here.