Starting Monday September 1st, it will be illegal to dispose of hypodermic needles in the trash.

Discarded sharps pose a health risk to the public, especially sanitation workers who must sometimes manually seperate recylcable and hazardous materials from the waste stream. This process exposes workers to needle-prick injuries and the risk of infection.

"Beginning Monday, needles must be transported in an approved container and managed by a hazardous waste facility, medical waste generator facility or a facility that manages a needle mail-back program....."

It's estimated that nearly 400 million sharps are disposed of in California annually.

Read the Sac Bee article>>

CAW & Sharps Disposal

• Learn more about SB 1305 (Figueroa)
• See our Medical Sharps Page for more information
• Read about what the state is doing about sharps disposal at the CIWMB's webpage.