Safe disposal of sharps and medication: why it matters
Proper disposal of sharps and unused medicines is essential for keeping our community and environment safe. Whether you're using sharps at home or cleaning out old medications, knowing the right way to dispose of these items is important. Improper disposal can lead to injury, spread disease, and harm wildlife. Luckily, there are simple steps you can take to dispose of sharps and medications safely and responsibly.
Each year, roughly 8 million people in the U.S. use more than 3 billion needles, syringes, and lancets — also called sharps — to manage their health at home. If not disposed of correctly, these sharps can pose serious risks to others. Workers like garbage collectors, janitors, and sewer treatment employees, as well as children and pets, are at risk of being harmed by improperly discarded sharps.
It's the law: no sharps in the trash
Due to the dangers of improper sharps disposal, California law prohibits putting sharps in your trash, recycling, or green waste containers. It’s important to always handle sharps responsibly to protect our community.
How to package sharps for disposal
To safely dispose of sharps, place them in an approved sharps container specifically rated for disposal for sharps, which you can purchase at any pharmacy, You can also place them in an approved container and drop them off at an authorized disposal facility. Residents of Placer County can safely dispose of their sharps for free at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) near Lincoln. Get hours and location to the MRF.
Never throw away or flush unused medications. Tossing them in your trash or flushing them down the toilet can harm our water supply and pose a threat to wildlife. The safest way to dispose of old, expired, or unused medication is to bring it to a pharmacy with a designated collection bin, to drop off at a free take back event that occurs twice annually in Placer County.
Placer County medication drop-off
Residents of Placer County can drop off medications at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) free of charge, daily. Get hours and location to the MRF.
Other options for medication disposal
Placer County host periodic takeback events for safe medication disposal, and Roseville often hosts several locations twice a year during the countywide events. Check or bookmark this link as we update this page often for the latest take back day in Roseville.
By following these guidelines, you’re helping to keep our community, environment, and water supply safe!