A 44-year-old trash collector was stuck in the leg with a needle that was in a bag of trash. A year later, he started having stomach pains. The doctors told him he had contracted Hepatitis C, most likely from the needlestick, and that they were unable to cure him. He is now in chronic liver failure and will more than likely die from this disease(1).
This scenario is not isolated and is very real. Consider this: Each year, three billion needles are utilized outside of the traditional healthcare environment. This number escalates when you consider those that are not traceable — those used by illicit drug users and that can be contaminated with the most serious of diseases. Many of these needles end up in the trash we collect and recycle.