A hand carried, hand operated portable apparatus for destroying hypodermic needles is disclosed herein comprising a housing having a lever arm pivotably mounted on the housing engaging a shearing blade which travels through an internal channel through the top of the housing. A removable container having a longitudinal groove formed by inwardly disposed wall members is press fitted into the housing. A needle from a hypodermic syringe is placed in the longitudinal groove and pressed into the interior of the container in such a manner that the needle remains inside the container after it is cut from the hypodermic syringe.