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 | 670 4th St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
Walgreens | 3201 Divisadero St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
Walgreens | 1189 Potrero Ave. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
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. | |
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. | |
Richmond Annex Senior Center | 5801 Huntington Avenue | Richmond | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Must be in approved sharps container. | |
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. | |
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. | |
West County Wastewater | 2910 Hilltop Drive | Richmond | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Must bein an approved sharps container. | |
Walgreens | 730 Market St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
Walgreens | 33 Drumm St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
Walgreens | 199 Parnassus Ave. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
Walgreens | 1201 Taraval 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. | |
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. | |
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. | |
Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy | 925 Cole St | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off |