Program News
- On May 17, 2022, The Drug Takeback Solutions Foundation submitted a revised stewardship plan for covered drugs to meet conditions in this Request for Approval and a revised stewardship plan for home-generated sharps waste to meet conditions in this Request for Approval. CalRecycle requests that comments are submitted to PharmaSharps@CalRecycle.ca.gov by June 1, 2022.
- On May 2, 2022, CalRecycle issued completeness determinations for program operators’ annual reports and annual program budgets. Visit CalRecycle’s pharmaceutical waste annual report and program budget webpages and home-generated sharps waste annual report and program budget webpages for more information.
- On March 31, 2022, MED-Project and UltiMed submitted 2021 annual reports and annual program budgets for its stewardship programs and The Drug Takeback Solutions Foundation submitted annual program budgets for its stewardship programs.
- On March 27, 2022, UltiMed submitted a revised stewardship plan for home-generated sharps waste to meet conditions in this Request for Approval. The stewardship plan is posted on CalRecycle’s home-generated sharps waste stewardship plan webpage.
- On March 9, 2022, MED-Project submitted a revised stewardship plan for covered drugs to meet conditions in this Request for Approval and a revised stewardship plan for home-generated sharps waste to meet conditions in this Request for Approval. The stewardship plans are posted on CalRecycle’s pharmaceutical waste stewardship plan and home-generated sharps waste stewardship plan webpages.
Pharmaceutical and Sharps Waste Stewardship
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: Click here 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.