Residential Sharps Collection Program
The Illinois EPA's Residential Sharps Collection Program funds local governments to set up and manage safe household sharps collection and disposal sites, promoting public health and environmental safety.
Funder: Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Due Dates: May 25, 2026 (Application Review Start / Pre-qualification) | March 1, 2027 (Full application deadline) | July 30, 2027 (Final report deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $35,000 per local government applicant; total program funding $600,000; project period July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027.
Summary: Supports Illinois local governments in establishing and operating residential sharps collection and disposal programs, reimbursing eligible costs to promote safe household sharps management.
Key Information: Only units of local government in Illinois are eligible; applications accepted until funding is exhausted or deadline reached.
Description
The Residential Sharps Collection Program, administered by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA), provides reimbursement funding to units of local government in Illinois to establish and operate sharps collection stations for private residents. The program aims to promote public health and environmental safety by supporting the safe collection, storage, and disposal of used household sharps (such as needles, syringes, and lancets), preventing improper disposal in the community.
Eligible expenses include costs for advertising collection stations, educational materials, collection containers for residents, storage receptacles, mobilization fees for permitted medical waste transporters, disposal fees, and indirect costs (with proper rate documentation). Personnel costs are not eligible. Funding is intended to expand access to safe disposal across the state, with local governments reimbursed for actual, documented costs up to the award ceiling.
