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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Rx Pharmacy | 50 Eagle Rock Way | Brentwood | 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. | |
| CVS Pharmacy (26059 Mission Blvd) | 26059 Mission Blvd | Hayward | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size. | |
| Visitacion Valley Pharmacy | 100 Leland Ave. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Walgreens | 1189 Potrero Ave. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Alamo Sheriff's Substation |
150 Alamo Plaza Suite C |
Alamo | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Needles & Syringes must be in approved container and can be placed in the needles drop box. | |
| Walgreens | 3601 California St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| MedWaste California | 73 Beechwood Dr | Oakland | Safe Disposal | Pick-up for a Fee | ||
| Walgreens | 2100 Webster St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Alameda County Household Hazardous Waste Program (Livermore Facility) | 5584 La Ribera Street | Livermore | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Acceptance of standard size containers as well as larger than 1g sharps containers. CGM's (continuous glucose monitors) are accepted from residents using these at home with the sharp (&/or applicator) separated into an approved FDA approved sharps container, and the devices collected in a thick Ziploc bag. At drop-off, resident should inform HHW staff they have these medical devices. | |
| Walgreens | 1175 Columbus Ave. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| New Oakland Pharmacy (333 9th St) |
333 9th St b/t Webster St & Franklin St |
Oakland | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved 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. | |
| CVS Pharmacy (243 W Jackson St) | 243 West Jackson St | Hayward | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size. | |
| 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. | |
| Walgreens | 3801 3rd St. Suite 550 | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Sharps Solutions |
3563 Investment Blvd. Suite 6 |
Hayward | Safe Disposal | Pick-up for a Fee | Commercial quantity. Prepaid container program. | |
| Walgreens | 2120 Polk St. | San Francisco | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Richmond Police Department | 1701 Regatta Blvd. | Richmond | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | Must be in an approved sharps container. |
