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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | |
| Walgreens | 670 4th St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Walgreens | 3201 Divisadero St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| MedWaste California | 73 Beechwood Dr | Oakland | Safe Disposal | Pick-up for a Fee | ||
| Alameda County Household Hazardous Waste Program (Livermore Facility) | 5584 La Ribera Street | Livermore | 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. | |
| 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. | |
| 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 | 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. | |
| 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. | |
| Walgreens | 730 Market St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Walgreens | 33 Drumm St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Sharps Solutions |
3563 Investment Blvd. Suite 6 |
Hayward | Safe Disposal | Pick-up for a Fee | Commercial quantity. Prepaid container program. | |
| Walgreens | 199 Parnassus Ave. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Richmond Police Department | 1701 Regatta Blvd. | Richmond | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Must be in an approved sharps container. | |
| Ted's Drugs | 27453 Hesperian Blvd | Hayward | 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. 1g max size container. | |
| CVS Pharmacy (7200 Bancroft Ave) | 7200 Bancroft Ave | 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 | 1979 Mission St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off |
