Sharps & Prescription Medication

Sharps” are commonly used at home for people with medical conditions such as diabetes or other diseases that require blood sampling or injections.  Disposing of "sharps" in your refuse bin creates a public health risk for the city's refuse staff and the staff at the Materials Recovery Facility because their protective clothing cannot protect them from a needle puncture. 

Starting September 1 2008, state law prohibits “sharps” from being disposed of in residential refuse bins. Starting in August 2008, the City of Roseville, in coordination with the cities of Auburn, Colfax, Lincoln, Loomis, Rocklin, Auburn Placer Disposal Service and Placer County made the following free "sharps" drop-off points available to Placer County residents:

WPWMA Recycling Buy-Back Center 3195 Athens Road Lincoln, CA 95648 Monday - friday 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Saturday & sunday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (916) 645-5230 ext. 107

APDS Transfer Station  12305 Shale Ridge Road (off Highway 49) Auburn, CA 95603    Open 7 days a week, 8 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Before transporting "sharps" to these drop-off points, they should be placed in an approved rigid plastic container that has been sealed.

Other Disposal Options
There are other ways to safely dispose of "sharps."  The Californian Integrated Waste Management Board maintains a site that contains numerous options, including mail-back options, at http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/hhw/sharps/ . "Sharps" containers, which hold 100 needles, are available at a nominal cost from several drug stores in Roseville.

Medication
Medication should not be flushed down the toilet or disposed of in your garbage container. The City of Roseville does hold periodic pharmaceutical collection events.  Check on the city's front web page or call 774-5780 for future collection dates.