Sharps/needles

It’s illegal to dispose of home-generated sharps in the garbage.

California State law (Section 118286 of the California Health and Safety Code) makes it illegal to dispose of home-generated sharps in the garbage or recycling cart. This includes hypodermic needles, pen needles, intravenous needles, lancets, and other devices that are used to penetrate the skin for the delivery of medications used in the care of people and animals. The law also requires that all sharps waste be transported to a collection center in a FDA-approved sharps container. When thrown in the garbage, sharps can injure sanitation workers.

If the plastic syringe is no longer with the needle and no longer capable of piercing the skin, it can be disposed in the garbage assuming it’s home-generated waste. Also, note that empty medication vials can be disposed in the garbage.

How to prepare:

• For drop-off, sharps must be in FDA-approved sharps containers.
  
• The only legal way to transport used sharps is in an FDA-approved sharps container.
• The container must be labeled Sharps Waste and Biohazard.
• Sharps waste will not be accepted in paper bags, plastic bags, or non-approved containers.
• Do not place any non-sharps items inside a sharps container.

Mail-Back Service:

• Mail-back services for sharps are available to residents upon request:
  • Visit SharpsTakeBackCalifornia.org or call (844) 4-TAKE-BACK

• Accepted:
  • 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 medications

• Not Accepted:
  • controlled substances (such as opioids)
  • unwanted medicine separate from sharps
  • batteries
  • illicit or illegal drugs
  • biologics (such as insulin)

Related topics:

See Household Hazardous Waste Facility for Residents and related programs. Sharps/needles are accepted at all locations.
See Sharps/needles (business only)
See Commercial HHW Facility