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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Muir Rossmoor Medical Center Pharmacy | 1220 Rossmoor Parkway | Walnut Creek | Safe Disposal | Free Drop-off | ||
| Republic Services, Inc. Mail Back Service | 42600 Boyce Rd | Fremont | Safe Disposal | Mail-in for a Fee | Includes razor blades, tattoo needles and piercing devices. - Sharps Mail-in program | |
| Stericycle (Hayward) | 30542 San Antonio St | Hayward | Safe Disposal | Pick-up for a Fee | Mailback Kits for homes | |
| 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. | |
| West County HHW Collection Facility | 101 Pittsburg Ave. | Richmond | Recycle | Free Drop-off, Drop-off for a Fee | Accepted in approved sharps collection containers. | |
| Walgreens | 1580 Valencia St. | San Francisco | Recycle | Free Drop-off |
