Household Hazardous Waste
This item should never be put in a curbside bin. For more information visit our household hazardous waste page.
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.
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. 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.
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.
Vendor | Address | City | Destination | Disposal Method | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Walgreens | 33 Drumm St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
Walgreens | 199 Parnassus Ave. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
Walgreens | 135 Powell St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
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. | |
CVS Pharmacy (3010 Bernal Ave) | 3010 Bernal Ave | Pleasanton | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size. | |
Orinda Police Department | 22 Orinda Way | Orinda | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Please place needles/sharps in an authorized sharps container before placing them in the collection receptacle. | |
CVS Pharmacy (6750 Bernal Ave) | 6750 Bernal Ave | Pleasanton | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size. | |
CVS (799 Beach St) | 799 Beach St | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
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. | |
Sharps Solutions |
3563 Investment Blvd. Suite 6 |
Hayward | Safe Disposal | Pick-up for a Fee | Commercial quantity. Prepaid container program. | |
Richmond Police Department | 1701 Regatta Blvd. | Richmond | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Must be in an approved sharps container. | |
Walgreens | 3398 Mission St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
Walgreens | 200 West Portal Ave. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
Walgreens | 1363 Divisadero St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
UC Berkeley, University Health Services, Tang Center |
2222 Bancroft Ave Room 115 |
Berkeley | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-box in pharmacy. | |
Walgreens | 141 Kearny 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. | |
San Ramon Public Safety Complex |
2401 Crow Canyon Blvd (in the Police Department Lobby) |
San Ramon | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Please place needles/sharps in an authorized sharps container before placing them in the collection receptacle (kiosk). | |
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. | |
CVS (499 Haight St) | 499 Haight St | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off |