Home-Generated Sharps Waste Stewardship Plans
A home-generated sharps waste stewardship plan outlines how a program operator intends to fulfill its responsibilities under the statute and regulations and communicates a course of action to the public.
CalRecycle Approved Stewardship Plans
Home-generated sharps waste stewardship plans approved by CalRecycle are posted below. Copies of documents not linked below may be requested via a Public Records Act Request.
MED-Project is the only stewardship organization operating a home-generated sharps waste stewardship program in California.
Visit CalRecycle’s Jurisdictions webpage for information related to a local agency’s ability to request that a program operator manage home-generated sharps waste disposal from a household hazardous waste facility.
MED-Project USA
To contact MED-Project, visit MED-Project.org.
- A Product Stewardship Plan for Home-Generated Sharps Waste (August 22, 2022), including Appendix A and Appendix B
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- CalRecycle approval (November 15, 2022)
- Public Comments—CalRecycle received two public comments.
- Notification of significant changes to stewardship plan regarding the mail-back program (December 11, 2025)
- CalRecycle determination (April 9, 2026)
- Public Comments—CalRecycle received two public comments.
- Notification of significant changes to stewardship plan regarding local agency requests (Updated with minor corrections September 17, 2024. Originally submitted August 23, 2024)
- CalRecycle determination (September 20, 2024)
- Public Comments—CalRecycle received one public comment.
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CalRecycle Previously Approved Stewardship Plans
The Drug Takeback Solutions Foundation
The Drug Takeback Solutions Foundation (Foundation) was a program operator with an approved stewardship plan for home-generated sharps waste from February 14, 2022, through June 30, 2026. Foundation terminated its home-generated sharps waste stewardship plan on June 30, 2026.
- Stewardship Plan for Home-Generated Sharps Waste (October 15, 2022), including Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C, and Appendix D
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- CalRecycle approval (December 20, 2022)
- Public Comments—CalRecycle received no public comments.
- Notification of significant changes to stewardship plan regarding the mail-back program and metrics for education and outreach (July 17, 2025)
- CalRecycle determination (September 16, 2025)
- Public Comments—CalRecycle received no public comments.
- Notification of significant changes to stewardship plan regarding local agency requests (Updated with minor corrections July 31, 2025. Originally submitted June 2, 2025)
- CalRecycle determination (August 28, 2025)
- Public Comments—CalRecycle received one public comment.
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UltiMed, Inc.
UltiMed was an approved program operator from December 27, 2021, to February 17, 2023. UltiMed terminated its home-generated sharps waste stewardship plan on February 17, 2023.
Stewardship Plan Process
- Covered entities must be subject to an approved stewardship plan. For more information, see the Covered Entities page.
- A proposed stewardship plan must be submitted to the California State Board of Pharmacy (state board) for review, and to any other applicable state agencies with areas of authority relative to the stewardship plan, before submitting the plan to CalRecycle. The state board and other agencies have 90 days to review for compliance with laws and regulations related to the agency’s respective authority. The contact information for the state board and other agencies can be found on the Sharps Waste Stewardship home page.
- CalRecycle will review submitted plan(s) and provide a completeness determination within 30 days. If a plan is complete, CalRecycle will approve, disapprove, or conditionally approve a plan within 90 days of receipt of a plan. Consultations with other state agencies can extend CalRecycle’s review deadlines.
- For more information about stewardship plan requirements, please see the Law.
This page provides a brief overview and is not intended to provide a comprehensive list of legal requirements. Please refer to statute and regulations for a complete list of requirements. Users are encouraged to seek the assistance of legal counsel to comply with applicable state law based on their pertinent facts and circumstances.