How to dispose of old scalpel blades safely?

One thing you should never do is use a sharps bin placed in your regular dustbin as this can cause a contamination alert at the refuse processing plant. If a sharps bin (and its legitimate disposal) is not an available option, then common sense is all that most authorities ask. Make sure you fully and securely encase your blades in packaging of some kind so that no refuse collection staff or other family members can come to any harm whilst handling the waste. A good tip is to use the original case the blades came in (if a plastic case) and tape it securely shut.