Stanford
Water Resources

Medical Waste Kiosk

Proper disposal of medical waste reduces the risk of soil and water source contamination, protecting local ecosystems.

3 people standing around a newly installed medical waste kiosk

As part of a comprehensive program to reduce the amount of pollutants that reach the sanitary sewer system and the South San Francisco Bay, Santa Clara County has partnered with the non-profit MED-Project stewardship group to provide convenient locations for secure disposal of unwanted medicine. Proper disposal of medical waste reduces the risk of contamination of soil and water sources, protecting local ecosystems. If flushed down the toilet, wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove all pharmaceutical compounds, resulting in the potential for those substances to enter our environment and drinking water supplies. Additionally, if kept at home, expired or unused medications become vulnerable to accidental ingestion, drug misuse, or toxic exposure.

A kiosk is available at the Stanford Department of Public Safety (233 Bonair Siding Road, front lobby) and provides a simple and accessible solution for safely disposing of medical waste without the need for special trips to a disposal facility. You can find a list of additional unused medication kiosk locations at retail pharmacies, hospitals, clinics and law enforcement agencies on the MED-Project website.

Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm

Rules of Use

What Can be Disposed of:

  • Unused or expired prescription medications (schedules II-V, tablets, capsules, syrups)
  • Over-the-counter drugs
  • Patches/creams/ointments
  • Pet medications

What Cannot Be Disposed Of:

  • Sharps and needles
  • Mercury thermometers
  • Cosmetics and other personal care products
  • Illicit drugs or any controlled substances
  • Commercial or bulk disposal (kiosk is for personal medical waste only)

Confidentiality: Ensure that personal information (such as names on prescription bottles) is obscured or removed before disposal. If transferring pills or other solid medications to a clear plastic zipper bag, you can recycle the containers in your household recycling.