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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
Walgreens 5300 3rd St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 3001 Taraval St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
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.
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 (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 (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
Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy 925 Cole St San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
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.
Walgreens 670 4th St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 3201 Divisadero St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 1979 Mission St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
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.
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 (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 (Telegraph Ave) 2655 Telegraph Ave Berkeley Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size.
North East Medical Services 1400 Noriega 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.

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