Program News
- On August 23, 2022, CalRecycle issued completeness determinations for MED-Project and The Drug Takeback Solutions Foundation’s annual program budgets for covered drugs and home-generated sharps waste.
- On August 22, 2022, MED-Project submitted a revised home-generated sharps waste stewardship plan to meet conditions in this Request for Approval.
- On August 19, 2022, UltiMed submitted a revised home-generated sharps waste stewardship plan to meet conditions in this Request for Approval.
- On August 18, 2022, MED-Project submitted a revised 2021 annual report for home-generated sharps waste to meet conditions in this Request for Approval.
- On August 16, 2022, CalRecycle issued compliance determinations for The Drug Takeback Solutions Foundation’s revised stewardship plans for covered drugs and home-generated sharps waste, UltiMed’s annual program budget, and MED-Project’s 2021 annual report for covered drugs.
- On August 3, 2022, The Drug Takeback Solutions Foundation resubmitted annual program budgets for covered drugs and home-generated sharps waste.
- On July 29, 2022, UltiMed submitted a revised 2021 annual report for home-generated sharps waste to meet conditions in this Request for Approval.
- On July 29, 2022, MED-Project resubmitted annual program budgets for covered drugs and home-generated sharps waste.
Unwanted and improperly managed pharmaceutical drugs and home-generated sharps waste present significant public health, safety, and environmental problems at the end of their useful lives. These include negative impacts to water quality, sanitation, and solid waste, hazards for recycling workers, and increased potential for accidental poisonings and abuse by persons for which the medication was not intended.
California was the first state in the nation to pass a stewardship law for both pharmaceuticals and home-generated sharps waste.
The Pharmaceutical and Sharps Waste Stewardship Program (Public Resources Code (PRC) sections 42030-42036.4) established industry-run statewide pharmaceutical and home-generated sharps waste stewardship program(s) to require safe and convenient disposal options for pharmaceutical drugs and home-generated sharps waste.
Resources and Contact Information
- Listserv: Subscribe to sign up for email updates related to CalRecycle’s oversight of the Pharmaceutical and Sharps Waste Stewardship Law. You can review previous messages by visiting the Pharmaceutical and Sharps Waste Stewardship Listserv Archive.
- Public Notices: For public notices related to CalRecycle’s oversight of the Pharmaceutical and Sharps Waste Stewardship Law (e.g., department decisions regarding regulations, plan approval, etc.) please visit the CalRecycle public notices page.
- CalRecycle Contact: Please contact pharmasharps@calrecycle.ca.gov for questions or more information.
- Board of Pharmacy Contact: Please contact BOPstewardship@dca.ca.gov for questions or to submit information, pursuant to sections 42031 and 42032(b)(1) of the Public Resources Code.
- California Department of Public Health Contact: Please contact MedicalWaste@cdph.ca.gov for questions.
- California Department of Toxic Substances Control: Please visit this webpage and contact PharmStewardship@dtsc.ca.gov for questions.