-
Closed for July 4, 2025
No curbside pickups on Independence Day, Friday, 7/4/25. Drop-off-sites & offices also closed.
If you have a Friday pickup day, we will collect scheduled carts on Monday, 7/7/25.Drop-off sites reopen 7/5/25 on their posted hours.
Household Sharps
Pharmacy drop-off program
The City of Madison, in cooperation with Dane County and 25 Madison pharmacies operates a drop off collection program for used medical needles. The City of Madison sharps disposal program is simple to use and is free of charge. This program is for individuals only.
To dispose of your needles, syringes, and other medical sharps, package them and take them to a sharps drop-off location or other participating pharmacy.
Proper disposal
Contact your pharmacy to learn what their packaging requirement are. Be sure to speak to a pharmacist with knowledge of the sharps program.
Most locations will accept a red plastic sharps container. Many places also accept a plastic laundry detergent bottle if properly labeled with "Biohazard" or "Sharps" stickers, but not all pharmacies will accept them this way. (Sharps stickers are available free of charge from participating pharmacies or by calling (608) 267-2626.)
Sharps drop-off locations
Check with the pharmacy you use regularly or the one near your home. They may offer their own program separate from the places listed below.
- Community Pharmacy Eastside: 130 S Fair Oaks Ave
- CVS 2. S. Bedford Street
- CVS 6701 Mineral Point Road
- Medicine Shoppe: 4604 Monona Drive
- Neuhauser Pharmacy: 1875 Monroe Street
- Hy Vee Pharmacy 3801 E. Washington Avenue
- Hy Vee Pharmacy 675 S. Whitney Way
- Walgreen Pharmacy: 108 Cottage Grove Road
- Walgreen Pharmacy: 4518 Cottage Grove Road
- Walgreen Pharmacy: 5702 Raymond Road
- Walgreen Pharmacy: 6601 McKee Road
- Walgreen Pharmacy: 1725 Northport Drive
- Walgreen Pharmacy: 2909 E. Washington Avenue
- Walgreen Pharmacy: 3710 E. Washington Avenue
- Walgreen Pharmacy: 7810 Mineral Point Road
- Walgreen Pharmacy: 3700 University Avenue
- Walgreen Pharmacy: 4641 Verona Road
- Walgreen Pharmacy: 606 S. Whitney Way
- Walgreen Pharmacy: 2121 S. Park Street
- Walgreen Pharmacy: 311 E. Campus Mall
Options for businesses
Businesses with sharps to dispose of can contact Madison Environmental Resources at 608-257-7652. There are many other businesses that also take sharps, such as MedPro, or Stericycle, or Veolia.
Other options
You can also check with the Wisconsin DNR or Safe Needle Disposal for additional options.
Madison Environmental Resources (MERI) also offers a mail back box program that you could utilize for a cost. For more information on the mail back program, contact MERI at the number listed below.
Sharps disposal is required
State regulations require households to safely package sharps and bans sharps from disposal in a landfill unless they have been specially processed. To help Madison residents, many clinics and physicians will take back used needles and dispose of them properly. However, many people do not have access to a sharps collection program. To assist you with proper disposal, the Streets Division has established a drop off program for used medical needles.