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.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haller's Pharmacy & Medical Supply (37323 Fremont Blvd) | 37323 Fremont Boulevard | 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 | 790 Van Ness Ave. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Walgreens | 3601 California St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Walgreens | 2100 Webster St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Pleasanton Transfer Station | 3110 Busch Rd. | Pleasanton | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | HHW drop-off for residents only | |
| 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. | |
| City of Richmond Drop-off Kiosk - Senior Center | 2525 MacDonald Ave | Richmond | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Must be in approved sharps container. | |
| MED-Project: Bay Area Meds Drop-Box Location Finder | 1800 M St, NW | Washington | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Online location finder. hypodermic needles, pen needles, pre-loaded sharps, auto-injectors, intravenous needles, lancets, and other devices used to penetrate the skin for drawing blood, or for the delivery of medicines) contained in FDA-cleared sharps containers. Mail-Back Services are available for Residents upon request. | |
| Walgreens | 1363 Divisadero St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Orinda Police Department | 22 Orinda Way | Orinda | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Please place needles/sharps in an authorized sharps container before placing them in the collection receptacle. | |
| Casa Segura | East 12th St. & 23rd Ave. | Oakland | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Walgreens | 825 Market St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Walgreens | 3801 3rd St. Suite 550 | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Walgreens | 2120 Polk St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| 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 (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. | |
| Richmond Annex Senior Center | 5801 Huntington Avenue | Richmond | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Must be in approved sharps container. | |
| Kaiser Permanente Pharmacy (Livermore) | 3000 Las Positas Rd | Livermore | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size. | |
| Walgreens | 141 Kearny St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| San Ramon Public Safety Complex |
2401 Crow Canyon Blvd (in the Police Department Lobby) |
San Ramon | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Please place needles/sharps in an authorized sharps container before placing them in the collection receptacle (kiosk). |
