Guide for Reuse, Repair, Recycling, and Safe Disposal
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
WM Think Green From Home 172 98th Ave Oakland Safe Disposal Pick-up for a Fee Online service. Programs for residents and businesses.
West County Wastewater 2910 Hilltop Drive Richmond Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Must bein an approved sharps container.
West County HHW Collection Facility 101 Pittsburg Ave. Richmond Recycle Free Drop-off, Drop-off for a Fee Accepted in approved sharps collection containers.
Wellspring Pharmacy 4184 C Piedmont Ave Piedmont Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size.
Waste Management, Inc. - MedWaste Tracker™ Sharps Return-Mail System 1001 Fannin
Suite 4000
Houston Safe Disposal Pick-up for a Fee Seal syringes and lancets in the provided protective sharps container. Small amounts and commercial volumes
Waste Management, Inc. - Medical Waste Collection Services 1001 Fannin
Suite 4000
Houston Safe Disposal Pick-up for a Fee
Walnut Creek Fire Station 1050 Walnut Avenue Walnut Creek Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Please place needles/sharps in an authorized sharps container before placing them in the collection receptacle.
Walnut Creek City Hall 1666 North Main Street Walnut Creek Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Please place needles/sharps in an authorized sharps container before placing them in the collection receptacle.
Walgreens (High St) 3434 High St Oakland Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-off kiosk inside. Syringes and auto-injectors in sharps containers up to 1 gallon in size.
Walgreens (Castro Valley Blvd) 3382 Castro Valley Blvd Castro Valley Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-off kiosk inside. Syringes and auto-injectors in sharps containers up to 1 gallon in size.
Walgreens (Adeline St) 2801 Adeline St Berkeley Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-off kiosk inside. Syringes and auto-injectors in sharps containers up to 1 gallon in size.
Walgreens 2120 Polk St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 790 Van Ness Ave. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 3801 3rd St. Suite 550 San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 1301 Franklin St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 1301 Market St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 2141 Chestnut St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 825 Market St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 4129 18th St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 1333 Castro St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off

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