Household Hazardous Waste
This item should never be put in a curbside bin. For more information visit our household hazardous waste page.
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.
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. 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.
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.
Vendor | Address | City | Destination | Disposal Method | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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\". | |
John Muir Rossmoor Medical Center Pharmacy | 1220 Rossmoor Parkway | Walnut Creek | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
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. | |
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. | |
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. |