Eva Usitalo with the Go-Give Project says more than 100 used needles are picked up from Greater Sudbury streets in a single day as part of its peer-led recovery program “We’ve been running this program since January 2025 alongside peers, and we have picked up about 12,000 needles in that time,” Shannon MacDonald, the non-profit’s program manager, said. Peers help with needle recovery The Go-Give Project works with the City of Greater Sudbury on needle pickups. The organization also wanted to involve people with lived experience in the program, allowing them to earn a small honorarium while helping make the community safer. “People are very eager to participate,” Usitalo told CTV News. “They really enjoy the program and the positive feedback from the community makes a big difference, too. They’re really enjoying that and giving back.” MacDonald said the program also provides participants with opportunities to develop skills and confidence. “It also gives the individuals that we’re working with a chance to build routine and responsibility and confidence, and we think that’s important,” she said. Thousands of needles collected Every weekday, Usitalo and her partner take four peers out on three different shifts to collect used needles. Go-Give said more than 1,000 recovered needles were collected each month over the past five months – with nearly 4,000 collected in April. Usitalo added that the needle recovery rate can increase after the spring melts as discarded needles become more visible. “When the snow melts. You see a huge number of needles when they’re uncovered, and another thing is community members will tell us there are frequently different places that people access to use,” Usitalo said, adding there is always a new location emerging. Discarded needles pose health risk Health officials said cleaning up discarded needles is important because they can contain small amounts of blood that may pose a risk if another person is accidentally pricked or intentionally uses the same needle. Tina McKinnon, a public health nurse with Public Health Sudbury & Districts, told CTV News the risk of infection from a discarded needle is low but should still be taken seriously. “It’s important to, you know, explain that needle syringe programs and harm reduction help reduce the spread of bloodborne infections and, you know, help connect people to health and social services,” she said. “With discarded needles, there is a risk of acquiring an infection from that discarded needle and although it is certainly low, it does exist and should be taken seriously.” Program continues through 2027 The Go-Give Project said more than 100 people have signed up for the peer-led needle recovery program. The program is expected to continue until the end of 2027, when the organization’s contract with the city ends. Needle collection takes place across the city and the organization encourages community members to report locations where needles may have been unsafely discarded so they can help clean them up.
