Pharmaceuticals and Sharps Disposal Program

The City and County of Santa Cruz are working together with the cities of Watsonville, Capitola and Scotts Valley to provide a convenient and permanent system to collect used needles and lancets (often referred to collectively as “sharps”) and unwanted pharmaceuticals. Properly handling items such as unwanted pills, liquid medication, and needles is important for home safety, the protection of employees, and the environment.

Medications and needle disposal programs are available to all residents of the City of Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz County. For more information about this collaborative program visit MED-Project.

Medications or personal care products such as pills, liquids or creams, should not be flushed down the toilet or placed in the trash where they are accessible to children or animals. See our video on this in English, en español.

Needles should never be placed in a recycling cart, flushed down the toilet, or discarded separately or loosely. To properly dispose of sharps, place them in a dedicated, approved, red sharps container and drop off the full container at one of the MED-Project locations These red sharps containers are available at a very nominal fee in 1-quart, 5-quart, and 2-gallon sizes at all pharmacies. See our video on this in English, en español. You may also request a sharps mail-back package by visiting MED-Project or calling (844) MED-PROJECT (633-7765).

Find Santa Cruz locations for safe disposal of needles and meds here: MED-Project.

A map of Santa Cruz kiosk locations for pharmaceuticals and sharps pickups including pick-up record details can be accessed here.

Download the Unwanted Medicines and Sharps brochure here in English, en español.

You may take a short survey to learn about and pledge proper disposal of used needles and unwanted medications from your home. Then if you like, share your story about how hard or easy it is to dispose of them. Include your zip code and the California Product Stewardship Council will share your stories with state legislators to support action to improve disposal options.

Report of the Respirometry Study conducted by the City of Santa Cruz Environmental Compliance Program on the maximum acceptable limits of RootX application allowable for root control in the conveyance system to the City of Santa Cruz Wastewater Treatment Facilities system.

For more information please contact:
Akin Babatola
Laboratory/Environmental Compliance Manager
110 California St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
831-420-6045
Fax: 831-420-6489 
email

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