How to dispose of sharps and needles in Minneapolis, MN
FDA requires sharps in an approved rigid container. Drop-off at most Walgreens + CVS pharmacies, county HHW, and many hospitals. Mail-back kits (Sharps Compliance, Stericycle) work when local drop-off is hard. Insulin pens + EpiPens are sharps too. Never trash uncapped.
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Minneapolis basics
- County
- Hennepin County
- Primary ZIPs
- 55401, 55402, 55403, 55404, 55405, 55406…
- Curbside schedule
- Color-coded weekly pickup. Garbage every week, recycling every other week on your Green or Blue week, organics weekly (opt-in). Find your day at minneapolismn.gov.
- Bulk pickup
- One free bulk-pickup appointment per year for City of Minneapolis garbage customers. Schedule at minneapolismn.gov or call 612-673-2917. Additional pickups cost $30 per item.
Where to dispose of sharps and needles near Minneapolis
- 1
Pharmacy drop-off (Walgreens, CVS)
Most Walgreens, CVS, and independent pharmacies in MN accept sealed FDA-approved sharps containers free. Confirm by phone; not every store participates.
- 2
Hennepin or Ramsey County HHW
Both county HHW facilities accept sharps containers free. Bring in a rigid puncture-proof container — they cannot accept loose syringes.
- 3
Mail-back kit
Sharps Compliance, Stericycle, FlexCo, and Stericycle sell prepaid mail-back kits ($15-40) — order, fill, return via UPS. Useful for residents who can't drive to a drop-off.
Read the complete sharps + needle disposal guide
The Minneapolis options above are the local cut. For the full breakdown — chemistry, safety prep, federal + state rules, and the longer list of national take-back programs — read the complete guide:
Sharps + needle disposal — full guide →All disposal guides for Minneapolis, MN
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