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 & 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.

It is illegal for needles and other sharps to be placed into trash or recycling containers. People hand sort at the start of the recycling process; keep them safe by not placing used needles in plastic containers and putting them in your recycling bin.

Sharps, syringes, needles, auto injectors, prefilled syringes with needle, and lancets should be in a sealed FDA cleared Sharps container. Sharps containers are available in most drug stores and from mail order & internet ecommerce sources. Kiosks in pharmacies, Hospitals and Police Departments can accept Sharps containers up to 1 gallon in size. HHW Facilities accept larger sharps containers.

Sharps containers are available in most drug stores and from mail order & internet e-commerce sources.

Free Mail-back containers mailed directly to your home are available by calling 1-844-633-7765 or visiting med-project.org, choose "Mail Back" to fill out an on-line order form. Novo Nordisk also has a free Mail-back container service for their customers: 1-877-438-0564.

Vendors

Vendor Address City Destination Disposal Method Notes
John Muir Rossmoor Medical Center Pharmacy 1220 Rossmoor Parkway Walnut Creek Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Richmond Annex Senior Center 5801 Huntington Avenue Richmond Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Must be in approved sharps container.
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.
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.
Needle Exchange Emergency Distribution (Durant Ave) 2340 Durant Ave Berkeley Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Alameda County Household Hazardous Waste Program (Hayward Facility) 2091 West Winton Avenue Hayward 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.
Walgreens 500 Geary St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 2690 Mission St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Kaiser Medical Offices Pharmacy (Dublin) 3100 Dublin Blvd Dublin Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-box inside.
CVS Pharmacy (699 Lewelling Blvd) 699 Lewelling Blvd San Leandro Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size.
Walgreens 1333 Castro St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 1344 Stockton St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
CVS (799 Beach St) 799 Beach St 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.
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.
Needle Exchange Emergency Distribution (Hearst St) Hearst Street @ San Pablo Ave Berkeley Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
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/
Walgreens 500 Parnassus Ave., Level J San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 275 Sacramento St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
CVS Pharmacy (Newark) 35080 Newark Blvd Newark Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Sharps, syringes, needles, auto injectors, prefilled syringes with needle, and lancets should be in a sealed FDA cleared Sharps container. Sharps containers are available in most drug stores and from mail order & internet ecommerce sources. Kiosks in pharmacies, Hospitals and Police Departments can accept Sharps containers up to 1 gallon in size.

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