Safe Waste Disposal: Medicine

Safe medicine and sharps disposal protects our environment and helps prevent poisonings, overdoses, and needlestick injuries to people and pets.

Visit the webpages below to find disposal locations and mail-back options for medicine and sharps at no cost to you.

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Safe medicine disposal locations and information
Sharps disposal locations and information

Sharps Drop-off and Mail Back Options

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:

Medicine Drop-off and Mail-Back Options

Unused and unwanted medicine should not be put in the trash, recycling, or flushed down the toilet.

Residents have access to two convenient medicine disposal options – mail-back or drop-off at a collection bin.

(650) 372-6200

General information May 3, 2016

Safe Medicine Disposal Ordinance

The Safe Medicine Disposal Ordinance went into effect on May 28, 2015. The Ordinance requires medicine producers who manufacture prescription or over-the-counter medicines offered for sale in San Mateo County to implement a medicine disposal program for residents. The County provides oversight to ensure that the Program meets the needs of the community and adheres to the Ordinance.

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