Needles and other sharps should never be placed in your garbage, recycling, compost, or flushed down the toilet.
Proper disposal helps protect sanitation workers, waste facility employees, pets, and the community from accidental needle sticks and keeps hazardous waste out of the environment.
Needles & Syringes
Includes hypodermic needles and syringes.
Pen needles
Needles used with insulin and other medication pens.
Lancets & Other Accepted Sharps
1
Place sharps in an approved container
Use a puncture-resistant, approved sharps container with a secure lid. Do not place loose needles in bags, boxes, or household containers.
Need a sharps container? Residents may be able to obtain approved sharps containers at Marin Household Hazardous Waste Facilities (subject to availability) or purchase them from many pharmacies and online retailers.
2
Seal the container
When the container is about three-quarters full, securely seal it.
3
Drop it off
Take your sealed sharps container to a Marin Household Hazardous Waste Facility.
Improperly discarded needles can injure sanitation workers, recycling staff, pets, and others who may come into contact with them. Safe disposal also helps protect public health and keeps hazardous materials out of landfills and waterways.
Zero Waste Marin provides disposal information for household sharps only. For all other residential medical waste, visit Marin County Environmental Health.
Do Not Place Needles or Sharps in Curbside Carts Never place needles, lancets, or other sharps in trash, recycling, or organics carts. Store them in an approved sharps container and take them to a Marin Household Hazardous Waste Facility to help protect sanitation workers and the community from accidental needle-stick injuries.
