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
UC Berkeley, University Health Services, Tang Center 2222 Bancroft Ave
Room 115
Berkeley Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-box in pharmacy.
CVS Pharmacy (1550 E 14th St) 1550 E 14th St 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 1630 Ocean Ave. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
SMaRT Station 301 Carl Rd Sunnyvale Safe Disposal Free Drop-off This item is hazardous and must be disposed of properly. Place sharps in biohazard or hard plastic container with screw-top lid marked \"sharps\".
Walgreens 456 Mission St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 2145 Market St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Richmond Fire Department Station #63 5201 Valley View Rd. El Sobrante Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Must be in approved sharps container.
MedPro Disposal 1548 Bond St
#106
Naperville Safe Disposal Pick-up for a Fee Commercial quantity
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
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.
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 1750 Noreiga St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Central Drug Store 4494 Mission St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 459 Powell St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 2494 San Bruno Ave. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
City of Richmond Drop-off Kiosk - Senior Center 2525 MacDonald Ave Richmond Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Must be in approved sharps container.
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.
Waste Management, Inc. - Medical Waste Collection Services 1001 Fannin
Suite 4000
Houston Safe Disposal Pick-up for a Fee
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.

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