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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walgreens | 550 16th Street | 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 | 1201 Taraval St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| 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. | |
| Walgreens | 730 Market St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Walgreens | 33 Drumm St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| 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 (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. | |
| CVS Pharmacy (26059 Mission Blvd) | 26059 Mission Blvd | Hayward | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size. | |
| Walgreens | 1175 Columbus Ave. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| 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 | |
| New Oakland Pharmacy (333 9th St) |
333 9th St b/t Webster St & Franklin 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. | |
| 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 | 1300 Bush St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Delta HHW Collection Facility | 2550 Pittsburg-Antioch Hwy | Antioch | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off, Drop-off for a Fee | The Delta HHW Collection Facility Sharps Program is available to residents of East Contra Costa County. Please go to https://www.deltadiablo.org/sharps for more information and directions. | |
| Walgreens | 745 Clement St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Walgreens | 3398 Mission St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Walgreens | 200 West Portal Ave. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| CVS Pharmacy (14869 E 14th) | 14869 East 14th St | San Leandro | 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. |
