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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
Berkeley Police Department 2100 Martin Luther King Jr Way Berkeley 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 (1550 E 14th St) 1550 E 14th St San Leandro Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size.
Casa Segura 100th Ave. & Pearmain St. Oakland Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
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.
CVS Pharmacy (699 Lewelling Blvd) 699 Lewelling Blvd San Leandro Safe Disposal Free Drop-off Drop-off Box inside for needles/syringes in FDA-approved Sharps Containers up to 1 gallon in size.
Casa Segura 2313 San Pablo Ave Oakland Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Reliable Rexall Sunset Pharmacy 801 Irving St San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 1630 Ocean Ave. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 4129 18th St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 965 Geneva Ave. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
SMaRT Station 301 Carl Rd Sunnyvale Safe Disposal Free Drop-off This item is hazardous and must be disposed of properly. Place sharps in biohazard or hard plastic container with screw-top lid marked \"sharps\".
Walgreens 2141 Chestnut St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
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.
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.
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.
Needle Exchange Emergency Distribution (Durant Ave) 2340 Durant Ave Berkeley Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
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.
Walgreens 1750 Noreiga St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Walgreens 456 Mission St. San Francisco Safe Disposal Free Drop-off

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