Household Hazardous Waste
This item should never be put in a curbside bin. For more information visit our household hazardous waste page.
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.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native American Health Center (Seven Directions) | 2950 International Blvd | Oakland | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Sharps Kiosk inside for approved sharps containers. | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| Mission Wellness Pharmacy (2424 Mission) | 2424 Mission | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| 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. | |
| MedWaste Management |
5830 W. 3rd St Unit 331 |
Los Angeles | Safe Disposal | Pick-up for a Fee | ||
| MedWaste California | 73 Beechwood Dr | Oakland | Safe Disposal | Pick-up for a Fee | ||
| MedPro Disposal |
1548 Bond St #106 |
Naperville | Safe Disposal | Pick-up for a Fee | Commercial quantity | |
| MED-Project: Bay Area Meds Drop-Box Location Finder | 1800 M St, NW | Washington | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Online location finder. hypodermic needles, pen needles, pre-loaded sharps, auto-injectors, intravenous needles, lancets, and other devices used to penetrate the skin for drawing blood, or for the delivery of medicines) contained in FDA-cleared sharps containers. Mail-Back Services are available for Residents upon request. | |
| Lafayette Fire Station | 3338 Mt. Diablo Blvd. | Lafayette | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Please place needles/sharps in an authorized sharps container before placing them in the collection receptacle. | |
| Koshland Pharm Compounding Pharmacy | 301 Folsom Street, Suite B | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Pickup a FREE empty sharps collection container, fill it up, and return to the any participating SF pharmacy. | |
| Kaiser Permanente Pharmacy (Pleasanton) |
7601 Stoneridge Dr South 1 Pharmacy |
Pleasanton | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size. | |
| Kaiser Permanente Pharmacy (Livermore) | 3000 Las Positas Rd | Livermore | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size. | |
| Kaiser Medical Offices Pharmacy (Dublin) | 3100 Dublin Blvd | Dublin | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-box inside. | |
| John Muir Rossmoor Medical Center Pharmacy | 1220 Rossmoor Parkway | Walnut Creek | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Highland Hospital Outpatient Pharmacy | 1411 E. 31st St | Oakland | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-box inside. Sharps, syringes, needles, auto injectors, prefilled syringes with needle, and lancets should be in a sealed FDA cleared Sharps container. | |
| Haller's Pharmacy & Medical Supply (37323 Fremont Blvd) | 37323 Fremont Boulevard | Fremont | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size. | |
| Golden Gate Pharmacy | 1836 Noriega Street | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Pickup a FREE empty sharps collection container, fill it up, and return to the any participating SF pharmacy. | |
| El Cerrito Recycling + Environmental Resource Center | 7501 Schmidt Ln. | El Cerrito | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Must be in a thick plastic container with a screw top lid.; Bin always locked seek staff for assistance (office and/or yard). Only for RecycleMore residents. | |
| Don't Rush To Flush - Medication & Sharps Drop-box Location Finder |
California Product Stewardship Council 1822 21st St; Suite 100 |
Sacramento | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off |
