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. 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.
Vendor | Address | City | Destination | Disposal Method | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | ||
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 | ||
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. | |
Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy | 925 Cole St | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
West County Wastewater | 2910 Hilltop Drive | Richmond | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Must bein an approved sharps container. | |
Highland Hospital Outpatient Pharmacy | 1411 E. 31st St | Oakland | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-box inside. Sharps, syringes, needles, auto injectors, prefilled syringes with needle, and lancets should be in a sealed FDA cleared Sharps container. | |
Novo Nordisk | 800 Scudders Mill Rd | Plainsboro | Safe Disposal | Free Mail-in | Customers who are CA residents can order a free sharps disposal container that comes with a free return shipping label. | |
Walgreens | 3398 Mission St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
Walgreens | 200 West Portal Ave. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
Walgreens | 2050 Irving St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
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. | |
CVS Pharmacy (Marina Village Pkwy) | 931 Marina Village Parkway | Alameda | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-box inside | |
North East Medical Services | 1019 Clement Street | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
Shoreway Environmental Center (SEC) | 333 Shoreway Road | San Carlos | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Public Recycling Center. Must be in an authorized Sharps container. | |
Walnut Creek Fire Station | 1050 Walnut Avenue | Walnut Creek | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Please place needles/sharps in an authorized sharps container before placing them in the collection receptacle. | |
New Oakland Pharmacy (Lake Merritt) |
250 E 18th Street 3rd Floor |
Oakland | 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. 1g max size. |
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