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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safeway Pharmacy | 2020 Market Street | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| 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. | |
| Walgreens | 1750 Noreiga St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Central Drug Store | 4494 Mission St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Republic Services, Inc. Mail Back Service | 42600 Boyce Rd | Fremont | Safe Disposal | Mail-in for a Fee | Includes razor blades, tattoo needles and piercing devices. - Sharps Mail-in program | |
| Stericycle (Hayward) | 30542 San Antonio St | Hayward | Safe Disposal | Pick-up for a Fee | Mailback Kits for homes | |
| Walgreens | 5260 Diamond Heights Blvd. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Walgreens | 300 Gough St. | San Francisco | 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. | |
| CVS Pharmacy (344 Thomas L. Berkeley Way) | 344 Thomas L. Berkeley Way | Oakland | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size. | |
| City of Hercules - City Hall Drop-off Kiosk | 111 Civic Drive | Hercules | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Must be in approved sharps container. | |
| New Oakland Pharmacy #2 (388 9th St) | 388 9th St | Oakland | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size. | |
| Walgreens | 1899 Fillmore St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| AHF Pharmacy | 4071 18th St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Pickup a FREE empty sharps collection container, fill it up, and return to any participating SF pharmacy. Loose needles cannot be accepted. | |
| 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. | |
| Walgreens | 5280 Geary Blvd. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Walgreens | 300 Montgomery St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| New Oakland Pharmacy (Lake Merritt) |
250 E 18th Street 3rd Floor |
Oakland | 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. 1g max size. | |
| Walgreens | 1100 Van Ness Avenue | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off |
