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.

Reporting sharps for removal from public property

If you:

1. find a syringe on public property (sidewalks, parking strips, streets, other public rights-of-way, or on the grounds of City facilities)
2. find a locked or jammed needle disposal box 
3. need curbside needle pick up at your Seattle home or business

Please report it to:

• SPU illegal dumping hotline: (206) 684-7587 (option 4)
• 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.

Where to dispose of sharps

Sharps are not allowed in the garbage in Seattle because they can injure residents, garbage collection workers, and other employees that handle the garbage. Always use a designated sharps disposal container for used sharps. View the map below or download a PDF map of all drop-off locations.

Secure sharps disposal box locations

Two types of sharps disposal box locations are listed below.

Large, mailbox-sized bins available outdoors, 24/7:
(for disposal of containers up to 2 liters)

• Airport Way S
  1855 Airport Way S, Seattle, WA 98134
  Needle box is located on Airport Way S just North of S Holgate Street.
• Albert Davis Park
  12526 27th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125
  Needle box is located on the sidewalk on 27th Ave NE at the park's North end.
• Ballard Brewery District
  4660 Leary Way NW, Seattle, WA 98107
  Needle box is located at Leary Way NW between NW Ballard Way & 9th Ave NW.
• Bitter Lake Playfield
  13035 Linden Ave N, Seattle, WA 98133
  Needle box is located at the South end of the community center.
• Cal Anderson Park
  635 11th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
  Needle box is located near the restrooms in the middle of the park.
• Freeway Park
  700 Seneca St, Seattle, WA 98101
  Needle box is located up the park stairs at Hubbell Place & University Street.
• Fremont Canal Park
  199 N Canal St, Seattle, WA 98107
  Needle box is located on the trail within the park, West of 2nd Ave NW.
• Georgetown Playfield
  750 S Homer St, Seattle, WA 98108
  Needle box is located off S Homer Street near the restrooms.
• International District
  1004 S King St, Seattle, WA 98104
  Needle box is located on NE corner of the intersection of 10th Ave S and S King Street.
• Lower Kinnear Park Tennis Courts
  700 W Roy, Seattle, WA 98119
  Needle box is located on the path from W Roy Street.
• Mineral Springs Park
  1735 N 107th St, Seattle, WA 98133
  Needle box is located at Northgate Way & 107th Street.
• Mt. Baker
  2690 S Winthrop St, Seattle, WA 98144
  Needle box is located at 27th Ave S & S Winthrop Street in the center median.
• N 89th St & Aurora Ave N
  8821 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103
  Needle box is located at the Southwest corner of the intersection.
• Othello Park
  4351 S Othello St, Seattle, WA 98118
  Needle box is located on 45th Ave S side of park near restrooms.
• Rainier Ave S & I-90 Trail
  1199 Hiawatha Pl S, Seattle, WA 98144
  Needle box is located on the trail near Hiawatha Place S & S Bush Place.
• Ravenna Park
  Cowen PL NE & 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115
  Needle box is located on 15th Ave NE at the South end of the Cowen Park bridge.
• Roxhill Park
  9250 29th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98126
  Needle box is located off 29th Ave SW near the restrooms.
• SODO
  Utah Ave S & S Holgate St, Seattle, WA 98134
  Needle box located at Utah Ave S & S Holgate Street.
• U-District
  NE 47th St & Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105
  Needle Box is located near NE 47th Street & Brooklyn Ave NE on South side of the street.

Smaller disposal bins:
(for disposal of single sharps only)

• Ballard Commons Park
  5701 22nd Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107
  Needle box is located on a pole at 22nd Ave NW & NW 57th Street.
• Denny Park, middle of the park
  100 Dexter Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
  Needle box is located on a light pole on the path from Dexter Ave & John St.

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 

Removing sharps found on private property

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 (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 (purchase 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.