Green Pharmacy, California Programs & Resources
Jump to county of:
If your county is not listed, please consult your local Household Hazardous Waste Center and/or water treatment agency for more information on options available to you.
For Bay Area residents, please also consult Save The Bay, and
EBMUD which provide listings of take-back sites and events.
Alameda County
City of Alameda
The City of Alameda has two pharmacies which operate independent medicine take-back programs.
These locations work with a reverse distributor in order to collect medicines (including controlled) from the local community.
- Versailles Pharmacy, 2801 Encinal Ave., 510-523-4907
- Webster Street Pharmacy*, 1553 Webster St., 510-522-3066
*also accepts mercury thermometers, batteries, and fluorscent lightbulbs
City of San Leandro
The City of San Leandro hosts regular events that collect batteries, lamps, pharmaceuticals (including controlled), and other household wastes. Please check their website for more information, or contact Jennifer Nassab at 510-577-6026.
Contra Costa County
City of Antioch
The Delta Diablo Sanitation District (link to www.ddsd.org) accepts non-controlled pharmaceuticals and sharps for safe disposal. For more information, please contact Jeff Imachi at 925-756-1990.
Los Angeles County
The No Drugs Down the Drain program has recently been established as a public outreach and education program. Their website provides information on medicines in the environment, a guide to safe disposal, as well as a listing of national resources and agencies focusing on the issue of pharmaceuticals in the environment. Additionally, drugs are accepted at various locations and events in the City and County of Los Angeles. For more information and specific take-back locations, please visit their website.
Marin County
Marin County Department of Environmental Health Services has been operating the comprehensive Marin County Medical Waste Program for non-controlled medicines and sharps for over a year. SItes are located throughout the County. For more information on their program, please contact Robert Turner at 415-499-7146, or rturner@co.marin.ca.us. For a complete list of site locations, please refer to their website.
Orange County
The No Drugs Down the Drain program has recently been established as a public outreach and education program. Their website provides information on medicines in the environment, a guide to safe disposal, as well as a listing of national resources and agencies focusing on the issue of pharmaceuticals in the environment. Additionally, drugs are accepted at various locations and events in Orange County. For more information and specific take-back locations, please visit their website.
San Mateo County
The Office of Supervisor Adrienne J. Tissier has created a medicine take-back program located at police stations. These drop offs welcome controlled substances, which are disposed of via witnessed incineration. For more information, please contact Bill Chiang at 650-363-4042, or wchiang@co.sanmateo.ca.us.
Take-back sites are located in the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, and the police stations in the Cities of Atherton, Belmont, Burlingame, Daly City, Hillsborough, Millbrae, Pacifica, San Bruno, San Mateo, South San Francisco, and San Carlos (650-802-4223). For addresses and phone numbers, please visit their program website.
Santa Clara County
City of San Jose
Leiter's Pharmacy is operating an independent take-back program. They cannot take controlled substsances at this time. For more information, please contact them at 408-292-6772. Their pharmacy is located at 1700 Park Ave., Suite 30.
City of Palo Alto
The Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Plant (2501 Embarcadero Way, 650-329-2598) currently accepts non-controlled medicines only. The City is looking to expand its safe disposal options through establishing a drop off program and a mail back program. For more information, please contact Karin North at 650-494-7629, or Karin.north@cityofpaloalto.org.
Santa Cruz County
The City of Santa Cruz has begun initiating a pilot medicine take-back program. They currently have one pharmacy operating independently, and are investigating two more potential sites. For more information, including site locations, please contact Monica Tomlinson at 408-292-6772, or at MTomlinson@ci.santa-cruz.ca.us.
Sonoma County
On November 8, 2007, Sonoma County announced their take-back program at the Safe Medicine Disposal Symposium in Rohnert Park. The is sponsored by the Sonoma County Water Agency, and operates in the cities of Guerneville and Sonoma. They currently do not accept controlled substances. For more information and a list of site locations, please visit their program website, or contact Susan Keach at 707-521-1820, or skeach@scwa.ca.gov.
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