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 | 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. | |
| Recology SF Household Hazardous Waste Facility | 501 Tunnel Ave. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Limit of 15 gallons or 125 pounds per day of all household hazardous waste. San Francisco residents only. Address verification required. Open Thursday-Saturday only from 8am-4pm. | |
| Native American Health Center (Seven Directions) | 2950 International Blvd | Oakland | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Sharps Kiosk inside for approved sharps containers. | |
| Casa Segura | 2313 San Pablo Ave | Oakland | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Walgreens | 965 Geneva Ave. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Kaiser Medical Offices Pharmacy (Dublin) | 3100 Dublin Blvd | Dublin | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-box inside. | |
| 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 | ||
| Capsule Pharmacy |
2557 Mowry Ave Suite 11 |
Fremont | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size. | |
| Walgreens | 4645 Mission St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Walgreens | 25 Point Lobos Ave. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Walgreens | 1979 Mission St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Visitacion Valley Pharmacy | 100 Leland Ave. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Stericycle (San Jose) | 189 Stauffer Blvd | San Jose | Safe Disposal | Pick-up for a Fee | Mailback Kits for homes | |
| Needle Exchange Emergency Distribution (Durant Ave) | 2340 Durant Ave | Berkeley | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Alameda County Household Hazardous Waste Program (Hayward Facility) | 2091 West Winton Avenue | Hayward | 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. | |
| CVS Pharmacy (Marina Village Pkwy) | 931 Marina Village Parkway | Alameda | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-box inside |
