Household Hazardous Waste Home-Generated Sharps Disposal

New Waste Law Impacts Home "Sharps" Disposal

After September 1,2008, home users of medical sharps including syringes, needles and lancets, can no longer put sharps waste in the trash. Approximately 75,000 “sharps” are generated in homes every day in San Diego County. .

Home-generated sharps are defined as disposable hypodermic needles, needles with attached tubing, syringes, blades, lancets, acupuncture needles, and other medical devices that are used to penetrate the skin for self-injection, to deliver medication, or to conduct a blood test.

City of Vista residents can take their home-generated sharps to the Household Hazardous Waste facility located in Vista.

** Please note that these items should be placed in an approved sharp disposal container; or if that is not readily available, in a hard plastic container such as a plastic soda bottle. Items placed in soft plastic containers, such as plastic milk containers will not be accepted at the HHW facility. **