Less Is More - Santa Barbara County

Multi-Jurisdictional Solid Waste Task Group

County Programs

Sharps Collection Program

Home Generated Sharps (HGS) are needles, syringes with needles, and disposable lancets. Improper disposal of HGS is a health and safety threat to children, home health care providers, sanitation workers, and pets through accidental "stick" injuries.

How should I dispose of my sharps?
HGS should be placed in approved sharps collection containers. These containers are leak-proof, red containers constructed of rigid, thick-walled plastic with a biohazards label. Sharps containers should only be filled three quarters full before being sealed for disposal. Coffee cans, aluminum beverage containers, and plastic milk jugs are NOT appropriate containers and cannot be accepted. You should never dispose of your HGS or sharps containers in the regular trash.

Where can I obtain a sharps container?
Sharps containers can be obtained for free at any of the locations listed below.

Where can I take my full sharps container?
Each clinic listed below will accept full HGS collection containers from households in Santa Barbara County. You will not be charged for disposal. Please call the collection location that you plan to use prior to your arrival to confirm its address and operating hours. Households are limited to disposing of no more than two sharps containers per visit (maximum of one visit per week). Hospitals, clinics, medical practices, pathology labs, convalescent homes, group homes, nursing facilities, hospices, and veterinary hospitals are not eligible to use this program. Each collection facility reserves the right to refuse to accept sharps.

Please remember the following:
-Immediately after use, place sharps in the collection container, point facing downward;
-Do not attempt to bend or break the needle or syringe;
-Do not put the cap back on the needle;
-Keep all sharps and disposal containers out of the reach of children.

List of Collection Centers:

Santa Barbara County Public Health Department Carpinteria Clinic
931 Walnut Avenue
Carpinteria, CA 93013
(805) 560-1050
Operating hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Santa Barbara County Public Health Department Lompoc Clinic
301 North "R" Street
Lompoc, CA 93436
(805) 737-6488
Operating hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Santa Barbara County Public Health Department Santa Barbara Clinic
315 Camino Del Remedio, Room 117
Santa Barbara, CA 93110
(805) 681-5380
Operating hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Santa Barbara County Public Health Department Franklin Clinic
1136 East Montecito Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
(805) 568-2099
Operating hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Santa Barbara County Public Health Department Santa Maria Clinic
2115 South Centerpointe Parkway
Santa Maria, CA 93455
(805) 346-8421
Operating hours: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

If you would like to view a brochure that contains all of this information in English and Spanish, please click on this link: Final Sharps Flyer.pdf

For more information and to obtain a copy of this brochure, please call the County Public Works Department, Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division, at (805) 882-3615. In addition to the County of Santa Barbara, this program is cosponsored by the Cities of Goleta, Santa Barbara, and Solvang.

Last updated: March 26, 2008

free hit counter