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 and syringes

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.

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 2494 San Bruno Ave. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 1333 Castro St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Lafayette Fire Station 3338 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Please place needles/sharps in an authorized sharps container before placing them in the collection receptacle.
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.
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 (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.
Alameda Hospital 2070 Clinton Ave
Entrance on Willow St.
Alameda Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-box inside. all medications, including Controlled Substances. Bring pills in a ziploc bag, with liquids & creams in their own bag. Recycle plastic bottles & lids in curbside recycling cart.
Reliable Rexall Sunset Pharmacy 801 Irving St San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Casa Segura 100th Ave. & Pearmain St. Oakland Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 4645 Mission St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 88 Spear St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 25 Point Lobos Ave. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 1344 Stockton St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Moraga Fire Station 1280 Moraga Way Moraga Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Please place needles/sharps in an authorized sharps container before placing them in the collection receptacle.
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 (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.
Golden Gate Pharmacy 1836 Noriega Street San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Pickup a FREE empty sharps collection container, fill it up, and return to the any participating SF pharmacy.
Alto Pharmacy 1400 Tennessee St, Unit 2 San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Pickup a FREE empty sharps collection container, fill it up, and return to the any participating SF pharmacy. Loose needles cannot be accepted.
Casa Segura 2313 San Pablo Ave Oakland Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 498 Castro St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off

Curbside Service

RE:Source is an online directory for reuse, repair and proper disposal options for the California East Bay area and Palo Alto. Our goal is to connect you with the best options for what you need to get rid of or repair. Please note that we do not accept any items directly.

If you have questions or feedback about this directory, please get in touch, we'd love to hear from you.

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