Guide for Reuse, Repair, Recycling, and Safe Disposal
for Alameda County, Contra Costa County, and the City of Palo Alto

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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.

Household Hazardous Waste

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. People hand sort at the start of the recycling process; keep them safe by not placing used needles in plastic containers and putting them in your recycling bin.

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. HHW Facilities accept larger sharps containers.

Sharps containers are available in most drug stores and from mail order & internet e-commerce sources.

Free Mail-back containers mailed directly to your home are available by calling 1-844-633-7765 or visiting med-project.org, choose "Mail Back" to fill out an on-line order form. Novo Nordisk also has a free Mail-back container service for their customers: 1-877-438-0564.

Vendors

Vendor Address City Destination Disposal Method Notes
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 (499 Haight St) 499 Haight St San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
CVS (799 Beach St) 799 Beach St 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.
CVS Pharmacy (1500 1st St) 1500 First St Livermore 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 (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 Pharmacy (2000 Driscoll Rd) 2000 Driscoll Rd Fremont 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 (22501 Foothill Blvd) 22501 Foothill 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.
CVS Pharmacy (243 W Jackson St) 243 West Jackson St Hayward 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.
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.
CVS Pharmacy (344 Thomas L. Berkeley Way) 344 Thomas L. Berkeley Way Oakland 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 (3667 Castro Valley Blvd) 3667 Castro Valley Blvd Castro Valley 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 (4020 Fremont Blvd) 4020 Fremont Blvd Fremont 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 (4100 Redwood Rd) 4100 Redwood Rd Oakland 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 (4405 1st St) 4405 First St Livermore 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 (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 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 (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.
CVS Pharmacy (7201 Regional St) 7201 Regional St Dublin Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size.

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