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for Alameda County, Contra Costa County, and the City of Palo Alto
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needles and syringes

Needles & Syringes

A needle and syringe is a common delivery system for injectable medicines and other drugs, such as used diabetic test lancets and used or unused needles which are collectively called sharps.

Household Hazardous Waste

This item should never be put in a curbside bin. For more information visit our household hazardous waste page.

Drop-off Location Finder for Safe Disposal of Sharps Containers

It is illegal for needles and other sharps to be placed into trash or recycling containers. During the recycling process, people hand; keep them safe by NOT placing needles/sharps in your recycling or trash bins. Sharps, syringes, needles, auto injectors, prefilled syringes with a needle, pen needles, and lancets should be placed in a sealed FDA-approved Sharps container. Sharps containers are available in pharmacies and drug stores, as well as online. There are kiosks/drop-boxes in pharmacies, hospitals and police departments can accept Sharps containers up to 1 gallon in size. HHW Facilities may accept larger sharps containers.

  • Free Sharps Containers: Free FDA-approved sharps containers may be ordered online by clicking here through the California Sharps Mail Back program. The pharmaceutical company that your injectable medication comes from may offer a free sharps container program.
  • Mail-back: Free shipping labels and envelopes to mail in your sharps container for safe disposal are available through Med-Project. Some pharmaceutical companies offer free mail-back of sharps containers to their injectables patients.

California has an extended producer responsibility law in place that requires pharmaceutical companies to pay for convenient, safe disposal of Sharps. Alameda County was the first in the nation to pass a Sharps EPR bill.

Vendors

Vendor Address City Destination Disposal Method Notes
Mission Pharmacy 22138 Mission Blvd Hayward Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size.
Mission Wellness Pharmacy (2424 Mission) 2424 Mission San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Moraga Fire Station 1280 Moraga Way Moraga Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Please place needles/sharps in an authorized sharps container before placing them in the collection receptacle.
Mt. View Sanitary District (MVSD) 3800 Arthur Rd. Martinez Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Please place needles/sharps in an authorized sharps container before placing them in the collection receptacle.
Native American Health Center (Seven Directions) 2950 International Blvd Oakland Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Sharps Kiosk inside for approved sharps containers.
Needle Exchange Emergency Distribution (Durant Ave) 2340 Durant Ave Berkeley Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Needle Exchange Emergency Distribution (Hearst St) Hearst Street @ San Pablo Ave Berkeley Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Needle Exchange Emergency Distribution (Shattuck Ave) 3124 Shattuck Ave Berkeley Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
New Oakland Pharmacy #2 (388 9th St) 388 9th St Oakland Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size.
New Oakland Pharmacy (333 9th St) 333 9th St
b/t Webster St & Franklin St
Oakland Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size.
New Oakland Pharmacy (Lake Merritt) 250 E 18th Street
3rd Floor
Oakland Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Kiosk inside. Sharps, syringes, needles, auto injectors, prefilled syringes with needle, and lancets should be in a sealed FDA cleared Sharps container. 1g max size.
North East Medical Services 1400 Noriega Street San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
North East Medical Services 2574 San Bruno Avenue San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
North East Medical Services 1520 Stockon St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
North East Medical Services 1019 Clement Street San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Orinda Police Department 22 Orinda Way Orinda Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Please place needles/sharps in an authorized sharps container before placing them in the collection receptacle.
Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy 925 Cole St San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Piedmont Police Department 403 Highland Avenue Piedmont Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size.
Pleasanton Transfer Station 3110 Busch Rd. Pleasanton Safe Disposal Free Drop-off HHW drop-off for residents only
Recology SF Household Hazardous Waste Facility 501 Tunnel Ave. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Limit of 15 gallons or 125 pounds per day of all household hazardous waste. San Francisco residents only. Address verification required. Open Thursday-Saturday only from 8am-4pm.

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