As of 2025, Californiaâs sharps stewardship program (established by SB 212) is fully in effect statewide, with a few recent improvements that benefit at-home users:
Free Sharps Mail-Back Service:
The cornerstone of the SB 212 program for sharps is the free mail-back service. This became available after CalRecycle approved stewardship plans (regulations took effect in January 2021), and itâs now an ongoing offering.
Every county in California is covered by a no-cost mail-back system for used sharpsânatlawreview.com.
What this means: You can request a free sharps container kit delivered to your home, fill it with your used needles, and then mail it back for safe disposal (postage prepaid) when full.
This service is already up and running â by 2025 many California residents are routinely using it instead of stockpiling sharps or tossing them improperly. (If you havenât used it yet, weâll explain how to get a kit in the next section.)
Point-of-Sale Sharps Disposal Info & Supplies:
Starting in the past couple of years, pharmacies and other retailers that sell sharps are expected to provide disposal information â and even sharps mail-back containers â to customers.
Under SB 212, the stewardship program must enable retailers to offer a sharps mail-back package at the time of sale, upon requestâmed-project.org.
So by 2025, when you purchase sharps (needles, pen injectors, etc.) in California, you should either receive information about safe disposal or be offered a mail-back container.
For instance, a pharmacy might have free sharps containers on-site or arrange for one to be shipped to you.
If you arenât automatically informed, donât hesitate to ask your pharmacist or supplier about safe sharps disposal options â they are required to help provide solutions.
This is a new convenience that didnât exist a few years ago.
Statewide Coverage and Convenience:
SB 212 set minimum convenience standards to ensure disposal options are accessible in all areas.
By now, every county should have either the mail-back program and/or adequate drop-off sites so that residents can comply easily.
The program operators (like MED-Project) have also been doing public outreach.
For example, they roll out educational materials, community collection events, and partnerships with local agencies âmed-project.org.
The net effect in 2025 is that sharps users have more knowledge and more options for disposal than before.
You may have seen mailers, pharmacy posters, or government websites advertising âFree Sharps Disposalâ â thatâs SB 212 in action.
â© Upcoming changes
At this time (2025), there arenât major new requirements slated to hit individual consumers beyond whatâs already in place.
The stewardship programs will continue to refine and expand, but your duties remain the same: use a sharps container and dispose through the provided channels.
Do stay tuned to any local announcements, though. Some counties had their own ordinances prior to SB 212 (e.g. Alameda, Santa Cruz, etc.), and while SB 212 now provides a unified program, local agencies might offer additional drop-off events or require pharmacies to post signage about the program.
The safest bet is to follow current state guidelines and utilize the free resources now available. Next, weâll outline exactly how to do that step by step.