Sharps Collection Program
Our Sharps Collection Program is essential for maintaining the safety and health of the city by offering a secure disposal method for "sharps" such as needles, syringes, and lancets.
The program ensures prompt removal of sharps from public property within 24 hours and provides accessible sharps disposal boxes throughout the city. Residents can safely and efficiently dispose of sharps, minimizing the risk of injury or illness for the public and sanitation workers.
There are currently 23 sharps disposal boxes located across the city.
If you:
- find a syringe on public property (sidewalks, parking strips, streets, other public rights-of-way, or on the grounds of City facilities)
- find a locked or jammed needle disposal box
- need curbside needle pick up at your Seattle home or business
Please report it to:
- SPU illegal dumping hotline: (206) 684-7587
- Use the reporting online form for illegal dumping
- Use the Find it, Fix it smartphone app. Please see our video instructions on how to use the Find It, Fix It App to report needles.
Sharps are not allowed in the garbage in Seattle because they can injure residents, garbage collection workers, and other employees who handle the garbage.
Always use a designated sharps disposal container for used sharps.
View the interactive map
or download a PDF map of all drop-off locations.
Preview of interactive map with drop-off locations.
Disposal box locations are distributed across all geographic sectors of Seattle. These include areas where reports of sharps on public property have been relatively high and in visible areas where space is available on public property.
Other sharps disposal locations
In addition to the city-wide disposal boxes, sharps can be disposed at:
- North or South transfer stations (Note: Sharps disposed at the transfer stations must be put in a puncture resistant container with tight fitting lid such as a plastic bottle. See sharps handling instructions below.
- Needle exchanges
Please see our video on how to pick up sharps safely.
If you find a syringe on private property, do not pick it up with your bare hands. Follow the sharps handling instructions below. If you are unsure if the item you are reporting is on public property, call the Customer Service Bureau, (206) 684-2489 (2026-684-CITY), for more information.
Sharps handling instructions
- Do not pick them up with your bare hands. Use a glove and tongs, shovel, or broom and dustpan.
- Place used sharps and syringes in a manufactured sharps container (purchased at pharmacies) or a 2-liter plastic soda pop bottle. Make sure the lid fits tightly and tape it shut. If you use a plastic pop bottle, label it: "SHARPS, DO NOT RECYCLE."
- Do not break the needle off from the syringe. If the needle gets broken off from a syringe you have personally used, pull the plunger out of the barrel, put the needle in the barrel, and then replace the plunger.
- Do not put sharps in the garbage. See the disposal options above.
Each year, we conduct a community survey to gather valuable data and feedback from residents. This process allows us to identify areas where we can improve, highlight program successes, and ensure our services are meeting community needs.
Your participation is essential to the success of this program—by reporting sharps in public spaces, you help us create safer, cleaner neighborhoods for everyone. Together, we’re building a stronger, more responsive system that prioritizes community health and safety.
2024 Survey Insights:
Consistent Support for Services
- 83.31% of respondents strongly support the City of Seattle’s efforts in sharps disposal and cleanup, a consistent trend over the past three years.
Sharps Collection Improves Safety
- 87.53% of respondents reported feeling as safe or safer with a needle collection box in their neighborhood.
Increasing Personal Disposal Use
- Personal sharps disposal was highest in Othello Park (18.03%), Albert Davis Park (17.44%), Airport & Holgate (16.67%), and Mt. Baker (15.38%).
- Personal needle disposal has increased annually each year.
Opportunities for Expanded Services
- SODO had the highest demand for more sharps disposal services (66.67%).
- 50% of SODO respondents rated current services as “Very Useful.”
- 83.33% of SODO respondents felt safer with sharps disposal boxes in their area.
Impact of Services
- 30.85% of respondents reported seeing fewer needles in public areas, the highest percentage since the survey began.
