The State of California has recently enacted legislation concerning the disposal of household sharps waste. Senate Bill (SB) 1365 (Figueroa, Statutes of 2006) goes into effect September 1, 2008. It prohibits a person from knowingly placing home-generated sharps (needles, syringes or lancets) in their trash, recyclable or green waste container. There are no criminal penalties associated with the law.
The State of California does not currently regulate home-generated medical waste. However, two state agencies provide guidance on home-generated sharps waste disposal. The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB)’s Sharps & Health Home Care Waste Home Page is a valuable resource both for individuals who use sharps and must dispose of them properly, and for counties and cities working to comply with sharps disposal law.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has the authority to approve locations as points of consolidation for the collection of home-generated sharps waste, which, after collection, are transported and treated as medical waste. CDPH’s Medical Waste Management Program provides support and oversight to home-generated sharps consolidation points located in 25 counties and two cities. The CDPH website includes locations of home-generated sharps waste disposal sites throughout the state, as well as information on who to contact in each county for further information on home-generated sharps waste disposal.
Several counties in California have established syringe collection kiosks. These kiosks may be located in or outside of pharmacies, fire houses, bus stations or areas where homeless people congregate. Johnsons Environmental Products is one manufacturer of syringe disposal kiosks. [Please note that this link is included as an information service, and does not imply an endorsement of any product.]
Local household hazardous waste programs can be found through:
