City of Elk Grove

Integrated Waste

Safe Needle Disposal

Needle Disposal

Approximately 9 million syringe users will administer over 3 billion injections outside of health care facilities a year. On top of that there are also injection drug users (IDU) who make about one billion injections of illicit drugs. The problem we are facing is that the majority of these needle users are disposing their needles improperly. Improper management of discarded needles poses risk to not only waste workers but also the public. It increases the chances of infecting other people with diseases, germs and injury. Since needles are considered a biohazard it is important that users properly dispose of their contaminated needles. Here are several options recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to properly dispose of your contaminated needles.

  • Drop-off Collection Sites

Some communities offer collection sites that accept used needles often for free. These collection sites may be at local hospitals, doctors’ offices, health clinics, pharmacies, health departments, community organizations, police and fire departments, and medical waste facilities. Don’t juts leave your needles at one of these places, make sure the site accepts them, and be sure to put needles in the right place.

Here are several available locations (* Patients Only):


Kaiser Permanente*
9201 Big Horn Blvd

Sutter Medical Group*
8170 Laguna Blvd

  • “Household Hazardous Waste” (HHW) Facilities

Many communities have a disposal site already set up that accepts HHW items like used oil, batteries, and paint. In some places, these centers also accept used needles. If your area has a hazardous household waste center, be sure it accepts used needles before you go, and put needles in the right place when you drop them off.

Here are two available locations:

Sacramento Recycling & Transfer Station
8491 Fruitridge Rd
Sacramento, CA 95826

North Area Recovery Station
4450 Roseville Rd
North Highlands, CA 95660

  • Mail-back Service

You can buy this service, which comes with a needle container and mail-back packaging. You fill the needle container with your used needles and mail it back in the package that is provided by the company. You have to pay for this service, and the price usually depends on the size of the container you pick.

Two of the more popular websites that offer mail-back service:

http://www.bddiabetes.com/us/product/disposal_products.asp
These containers may also be purchased your local drug stores.
They can be reached at 1-888-bdcares

http://www.sharpsdisposal.com 1-800-207-0976

  • Home Needle Destruction Devices

Several manufacturers offer products for sale that allow you to destroy needles at home by either melting or breaking the needle.

There are two products that are FDA approved for in home-use for needle destruction. The “Disintegrator plus” is a needle destruction device that will melt the needles to be discarded as a common household trash. It can be found at www.disintegratorproducts.com.  The “Q-103” is another needle destruction device that will break off the needle part of the syringe. It can be found at www.qcareintl.com

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