California State law Section 118286 of the California Health and Safety Code makes it illegal to dispose of sharps waste in the trash or recycling bins, and requires that all sharps waste be transported to a collection center in an approved sharps container. This includes:

• Hypodermic needles
• Pen needles, intravenous needles
• Lancets
• Other devices that are used to penetrate the skin, for the delivery of medications

REMOVE BATTERIES FIRST: Please remove all batteries from your injection, monitoring, or sensor devices prior to disposing of them in a public sharps receptacle.  Failure to do so may lead to an explosion downstream during the handling, transportation, or disposal chain. 

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Where to Dispose of Sharps

Sharps Waste Mail-Back Packages

Order a sharps mail-back package to be shipped directly to your residence for free. To order by phone, please call (844) 4-TAKE-BACK or (844) 482-5322 or fill out the form online. 

Sharps Drop-Off Locations

Sharps must be placed in puncture proof containers up to one gallon in size before being placed in the disposal bins. 

Daly City 

Kaiser Permanente
395 Hickey Blvd

Mike Nevin Health Center
380 90th Street
(Bin Outside)

Half Moon Bay

Coastside Fire Protection District Headquarters
1191 Main Street
(Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and must be a resident of Half Moon Bay)

Pacifica          

Recology of the Coast
1046 Palmetto Ave
(Sharps accepted Tuesdays & Thursdays 8:00 am – 4:00 pm, Saturdays 8:00 am – 1:00 pm)

Redwood City

Fair Oaks Health Center
2710 Middlefield Road
(Bin Outside, Behind Health Center)

Kaiser Permanente
1150 Veterans Blvd
(Cypress Pharmacy)

Sequoia Hospital
170 Alameda de las Pulgas

San Bruno

Kaiser Permanente
801 Traeger Avenue
(3rd Floor)

Kaiser Permanente
901 El Camino Real

San Carlos

Shoreway Environmental Center
333 Shoreway Road
(Bin outside at Public Recycling Center, sharps accepted Monday-Saturday, 8:30am – 4:00pm)

San Mateo

San Mateo County Household Hazardous Waste Facility
32 Tower Road
(Bin outside)

San Mateo Medical Center
222 West 39th Avenue
(Two bins: Outside lobby & outside west entrance)

South San Francisco

Blue Line Transfer Station
500 East Jamie Court

Kaiser Permanente
1200 El Camino Real
(4th Floor)

Medicine Disposal

If you have unwanted or expired medicine to dispose of, there are drop-off and mail-back options available to you.