Folsom, CA Public Health Rules: Syringe Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Medical waste includes
- Sharps waste (FMC 8.32.005(CC))
- Curbside sharps disposal
- Prohibited (FMC 8.32.090(D))
- Required disposal method
- Licensed collection company
- State law cross-referenced
- Health & Safety Code §§117600-118360
- Violation penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000/6 mo
- Enforcement
- Public works solid waste division
Summary
Folsom Municipal Code 8.32.090(D) bars used syringes and other medical or biohazardous waste from the city's garbage, recycling and organic waste bins, requiring disposal through a licensed collection and disposal company under state Health and Safety Code rules instead. Section 8.32.005(CC) defines "medical waste" to expressly include sharps waste.
"Medical waste" shall mean waste which is generated or produced as a result of any of the following actions: diagnosis, treatment, immunization, or care of humans or animals, the production or testing of biologicals, sharps waste, waste generated in autopsy, necropsy, or preparation of a body for final disposition such as cremation or interment, research pertaining to any of the above, and waste generated in the cleanup of trauma scenes. ... D. Disposal of medical or biohazardous waste shall be performed through a licensed collection and disposal company, which complies with all applicable laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, California Health and Safety Code Sections 117600 through 118360.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 1369, passed April 28, 2026).
Full Breakdown
005(CC) to include waste from diagnosis, treatment, immunization or care of humans or animals, and specifically lists sharps waste alongside biological production and testing waste, autopsy and trauma-scene cleanup waste. 090(D) then bars residents and businesses from putting that medical or biohazardous waste, which covers used needles and syringes, into any city-provided garbage, recycling or organic waste container; instead, disposal has to run through a licensed collection and disposal company that complies with California Health and Safety Code Sections 117600 through 118360, the state's medical waste management law.
Subsection C of the same section separately bars placing in a container any wearing apparel or bedding from a home where an infectious or contagious disease has prevailed, and any explosive substance, poison, hazardous chemical, offal or fecal matter, reinforcing that the curbside system is not the outlet for anything that could expose a collection worker to a bloodborne or infectious hazard. 280, enforces the chapter, and residents with sharps to dispose of are directed away from the blue, green and gray cart system entirely.
Violations & Fines
Placing medical or biohazardous waste, including sharps, in a city container violates Section 8.32.090(D) and is treated as a misdemeanor under Section 8.32.285(C), punishable by a fine of up to one thousand dollars, up to six months in county jail, or both, rather than the lower administrative fine schedule that applies to most other container violations under this chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I throw used needles in my Folsom trash can?
What is "medical waste" under Folsom's code?
What happens if I put sharps in my recycling bin in Folsom?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Folsom
California rules heatmap·Compare Folsom to another location·View the California public health rules overview
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