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
Walgreens 1363 Divisadero St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 88 Spear St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 2141 Chestnut St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 4129 18th St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 141 Kearny St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 550 16th Street San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 965 Geneva Ave. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 1100 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 2145 Market St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 456 Mission St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 1175 Columbus Ave. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 2494 San Bruno Ave. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 459 Powell St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 25 Point Lobos Ave. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens (Adeline St) 2801 Adeline St Berkeley Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-off kiosk inside. Syringes and auto-injectors in sharps containers up to 1 gallon in size.
Walgreens (Castro Valley Blvd) 3382 Castro Valley Blvd Castro Valley Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-off kiosk inside. Syringes and auto-injectors in sharps containers up to 1 gallon in size.
Walgreens (High St) 3434 High St Oakland Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-off kiosk inside. Syringes and auto-injectors in sharps containers up to 1 gallon in size.
Walnut Creek City Hall 1666 North Main Street Walnut Creek Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Please place needles/sharps in an authorized sharps container before placing them in the collection receptacle.
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.
Waste Management, Inc. - Medical Waste Collection Services 1001 Fannin
Suite 4000
Houston Safe Disposal Pick-up for a Fee

Curbside Service

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