How do I dispose of home-generated medical waste?
Package It: Make sure to package your home sharps waste and needles in approved travel sized or medium sized or large sharps containers. This will allow the waste to be safely handled and transported for disposal . If you don’t yet have a sharps container, try packaging your sharps waste in a heavy duty plastic container, such as a laundry detergent bottle, for the meanwhile. Medicine waste can be packaged in a rigid container. Any printed information about the medicine or prescribed patient, should be erased or covered.
Dispose Of It: Bring your home generated medical waste to your local California State approved collection site for free and proper disposal. Remember, all sharps waste must be properly packaged. For medicine waste, check which of the collection sites on the list indicate that they also accept medicines for disposal.
The not free free option: If you need a professional company to come collect and dispose of your medical waste, contact MedWaste Management at (866) 254-5105. We collect and dispose of all types of medical waste, from all types of facilities in California, such as healthcare facilities, schools, homes and businesses. Since this disposal option is not free, it is recommended for the disposal of large quantities of home generated medical waste, or anyone who wants to pay for this convenience.
What is home-generated medical waste?
In Septemebr 2008, it became illegal in California to place your home-generated sharps waste in the regular trash container, or to flush it down the toilet.
- Sharps Waste – Home-generated sharps waste means hypodermic needles, pen needles, intravenous needles, lancets, and other devices that are used to penetrate the skin for the delivery of medications derived from a household, including a multifamily residence or household. See California’s Medical Waste Management Act section 117671.
- Medicine Waste – Home-generated medicine waste means expired or unused medicines, whether prescription or over the counter.
Browse For Local California County Info:
Alameda County:
Alameda County – Find information about how to properly dispose of home generated sharps and medicine waste in Alameda County, CA.
Alameda County Medication Drop Off Sites – Find the 41 locations, where Alameda County residents can drop off unwanted prescription and Over-the-Counter drugs and medications, including controlled substances.
Alameda County Public Health Dept. – Find information about how to properly dispose of home generated sharps waste in Alameda County, CA.
CityofLivermore.net – Find information about how to properly dispose of home generated sharps waste in the city of Livermore, CA.
StopWaste.org – Find out where to dispose of of sharps waste and medicine waste in the cities of Fremont, Hayward, Livermore and Oakland, in Alameda County, CA.
Alpine County:
Amador County:
Butte County:
Butte County – Find information about how to properly dispose of home generated sharps waste in Butte County, CA.
CityofOroville.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in the city of Oroville, CA.
Calaveras County:
Colusa County:
Countyof Colusa.org – Learn and see a video about how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in Orange County, CA.
Contra Costa County:
ContraCostacountyhealth.org – Learn more about how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in Orange County, CA.
DeltaDiablo.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in Delta Diablo District, in East Contra Costa County, CA.
PleasantHill.ca.us – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in the city of Pleasant Hill, CA.
Del Norte County:
El Dorado County:
ElDoradoCountygov.us – Learn more about how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in El Dorado County, CA.
Fresno County:
Glenn County:
Humboldt County:
Imperial County:
Inyo County:
Kern County:
KernCountywaste.com – Learn about how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in Kern County, CA.
Kings County:
Lake County:
Lassen County:
Los Angeles County:
Azusa.ca.us – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in the city of Azusa, CA.
AgouraHills.ca.us – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in the city of Agoura Hills, CA.
Calrecycle.ca.gov – Find locations throughout California that will accept a variety of special wastes.
Calrecycle.ca.gov – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in California.
CityofBell.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in the city of Bell, CA.
Lakewoodcity.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in the city of Lakewood, CA.
dpwLAcounty.gov – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in Los Angeles County, CA.
MontereyPark.ca.gov – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in the city of Monterey Park, CA.
Madera County:
Marin County:
MarinCounty.org – Learn more about how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in Marin County, CA.
Mariposa County:
Mendocino County:
Merced County:
Modoc County:
Mono County:
Monterey County:
Napa County:
CountyofNapa.org – Learn about how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in Napa County, CA.
Nevada County:
KeepTruckeeGreena.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in the city of Truckee, CA.
Orange County:
FountainValley.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and medicine waste in the city of Fountain Valley, CA.
LaHabracity.org – Learn about how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in the city of La Habra, CA.
Orangecounty.com – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in Orange County, CA.
Orangecountyhealth.com – Learn more about how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in Orange County, CA.
RanchoSantaMargarita.org – Learn about how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in the city of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
SanJuanCapistrano.org – Learn about how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in the city of San Juan Capistrano, CA.
Placer County:
RecyclinginLincoln.com – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in the city of Lincoln, CA.
Plumas County:
CountyofPlumas – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste waste in Plumas County, CA.
Riverside County:
Coronaca.gov – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in the city of Corona, CA.
Riversidecounty.org – Find information about how to properly dispose of home generated sharps waste in Riverside County, CA.
CityofCommerce.ca.us – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in the city of Commerce, CA.
Temeculaca.gov – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in the city of Temecula, CA.
Sacramento County:
CityofSacramento.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated hazardous waste and pharmaceutical waste in the city of Sacramento, CA.
San Benito County:
San Bernardino County:
Adelentoca.gov – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in the city of Adelento, CA.
AppleValley.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in the town of Apple Valley, CA.
CityofChino.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in the city of Chino, CA.
CityofCommerce.ca.us – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in the city of Commerce, CA.
Fontana.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in the city of Fontana, CA.
SanBernardinoCounty.gov – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and medication waste in Los Angeles County, CA.
Victorville.gov – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in the city of Los Angeles County, CA.
San Diego County:
Oceanside.ca.us – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in the city of Oceanside, CA.
Poway.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and medication waste in the city of Poway, CA.
CityofSanteeca.gov – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in the city of Santee, CA.
San Joaquin County:
Stocktongov.com – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and medicine waste in the city of Stockton, CA.
San Luis Obispo County:
SanLuisObispoCountyiwma.com – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in San Luis Obispo County, CA.
Santa Clara County:
MountainView.gov – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and medicine waste in the city of Mountain View, CA.
San Diego County:
SanDiegocounty.gov – Learn how to dispose of home generated hazardous waste and pharmaceutical waste in San Diego County, CA.
San Francisco County:
San Joaquin County:
San Luis Obispo County:
San Mateo:
SanMateoCountyhealth.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in San Mateo County, CA.
Santa Barbara County:
CountyofSantaBarbara.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in Santa Barbara County, CA.
Santa Clara County:
SantaClara.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and medicine waste in Santa Clara County, CA.
SantaClaraFireDept.org – Learn more about how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and medicine waste in Santa Clara County, CA.
Santa Cruz County:
Shasta County:
Sierra County:
Siskiyou County:
Solano County:
Sonoma County:
RecycleNow.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in Sonoma County, CA.
Stanislaus County:
Stanislauscounty.com – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in Stanislaus County, CA.
Sutter County:
YubaSutterRecycles.com – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in Sutter County, CA.
Tehama County:
Trinity County:
Tulare County:
Visalia.city – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in the city of Visalia, CA.
Tuolumne County:
Ventura County:
Simivalley.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in the city of Simi Valley, CA.
VenturaCountyrma.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in Ventura County, CA.
VenturaCountypublicworks.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated pharmaceutical waste in Ventura County, CA.
Yolo County:
CityofDavis.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical waste in the city of Davis, CA.
Yolocounty.org – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste in Sonoma County, CA.
Yuba County:
YubaSutterRecycles.com – Learn how to dispose of home generated sharps waste and pharmaceutical in Yuba County, CA.
How can I accept home-generated medical waste at my health care facility or business?
If you have a medical facility or business that generated medical waste, and you already properly dispose of your medical waste, you can easily start accepting home-generated medical waste from your patients and community.
Just make sure of the following:
- The sharps must be contained in an approved sharps container.
- The generator of the home-generated sharps waste, or a member of his or her family, must bring the sharps waste to your facility.
- The sharps waste is accepted at a central location at your facility.
- You must properly dispose of the home-generated medical waste that you accept, just as your properly dispose of your facility’s medical waste.
- A reference to, and a description of, the above actions are
included in your facility’s medical waste management plan.
See California’s Medical Waste Management Act Section 118147.
We are MedWaste Management – California’s medical waste disposal experts!
Established in 2008, MedWaste Management brings great benefit to the healthcare industry and the general public alike. We publish this blog to to spread useful and practical information to help people stay safe, smart and healthy!
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Home Generated Medical Waste Drop-Off Points In California