California requires home-generated sharps to be placed in approved rigid containers and disposed at authorized collection sites; Riverside residents may use designated drop-off locations rather than household trash.
Under Public Resources Code section 47105, putting loose syringes, lancets, or needles into curbside trash or recycling is illegal statewide. Riverside residents must collect sharps in FDA-cleared sharps containers or rigid puncture-resistant plastic bottles and bring them to authorized drop-off points such as participating pharmacies, the Agua Mansa landfill household hazardous waste facility, or county collection events. Mail-back programs are also authorized. Businesses generating medical waste have separate registration and disposal duties under the Medical Waste Management Act administered by the county.
Discarding sharps in regular trash or recycling is a misdemeanor under state law and exposes the generator to fines, with additional penalties for unregistered medical-waste generators.
See how Riverside's syringe disposal rules stack up against other locations.
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