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 | Method | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVS Pharmacy (14869 E 14th) | 14869 East 14th St | San Leandro | 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. | |
| CVS (799 Beach St) | 799 Beach St | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| CVS (499 Haight St) | 499 Haight St | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Clayton Police Department | 6000 Heritage Trail | Clayton | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Please place needles/sharps in an authorized sharps container before placing them in the collection receptacle. | |
| City of Richmond Drop-off Kiosk - Senior Center | 2525 MacDonald Ave | Richmond | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Must be in approved sharps container. | |
| City of Palo Alto Household Hazardous Waste Station Program | 2501 Embarcadero Way | Palo Alto | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off, Drop-off for a Fee | For commercial hazardous waste information, call the City's hazardous waste contractor (Clean Harbors) at 800-433-5060.,Must be in a rigid container with a sealed lid. | |
| City of Hercules - City Hall Drop-off Kiosk | 111 Civic Drive | Hercules | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Must be in approved sharps container. | |
| Central Rx Pharmacy | 50 Eagle Rock Way | Brentwood | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Central Drug Store | 4494 Mission St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Casa Segura | East 12th St. & 23rd Ave. | Oakland | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Casa Segura | 100th Ave. & Pearmain St. | Oakland | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Casa Segura | 2313 San Pablo Ave | Oakland | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Capsule Pharmacy |
2557 Mowry Ave Suite 11 |
Fremont | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size. | |
| CalRecycle's Where to Recycle Location Finder |
1001 I St PO Box 4025 |
Sacramento | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | https://calrecycle.ca.gov/epr/pharmasharps/sharps/ | |
| Biologic Environmental Services & Waste Solutions | 23490 Connecticut St | Hayward | Safe Disposal | Pick-up for a Fee | Call for specific info on this waste. Commercial quantity | |
| Berkeley Police Department | 2100 Martin Luther King Jr Way | Berkeley | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size. | |
| Alto Pharmacy | 1400 Tennessee St, Unit 2 | 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. Loose needles cannot be accepted. | |
| Alamo Sheriff's Substation |
150 Alamo Plaza Suite C |
Alamo | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Needles & Syringes must be in approved container and can be placed in the needles drop box. | |
| Alameda Hospital |
2070 Clinton Ave Entrance on Willow St. |
Alameda | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-box inside. all medications, including Controlled Substances. Bring pills in a ziploc bag, with liquids & creams in their own bag. Recycle plastic bottles & lids in curbside recycling cart. | |
| Alameda County Household Hazardous Waste Program (Oakland Facility) | 2100 East 7th Street | Oakland | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Acceptance of standard size containers as well as larger than 1g sharps containers. CGM's (continuous glucose monitors) are accepted from residents using these at home with the sharp (&/or applicator) separated into an approved FDA approved sharps container, and the devices collected in a thick Ziploc bag. At drop-off, resident should inform HHW staff they have these medical devices. |
