Tualatin residents who use insulin syringes, EpiPens, pet injections, or GLP-1 medications like Ozempic now have a free, 24-hour option to safely dispose of their needles without driving across town.

Metro, the regional waste management agency, installed a green, mailbox-style sharps disposal box outside the restrooms on the west side of the Lake at Tualatin Commons in June.

The box is one of three Washington County pilot sites funded by Oregon House Bill 5202, a 2022 state law that allocated $800,000 for expanded sharps collection across the region.

The program is already seeing use. Metro estimates more than 4,000 sharps have been collected across the three boxes in roughly their first month of operation, according to Metro public information officer Gia Ballash.

"It addressed an issue we had begun seeing, so it was a great fit," Tualatin Deputy City Manager Megan George said.

George confirmed the city had noticed improper sharps disposal before the box arrived and reported no problems with overflowing or damage since installation.

Why it matters locally

Oregon state law prohibits sharps from being placed in household trash. At the same time, pharmacies across the state have been declining to accept needles for disposal in recent years, according to Sherwood Senior Center Director Maiya Martin Burbank.

Kristin Leichner, president of Pride Disposal & Recycling in Sherwood, said her company regularly fields customer questions about proper sharps disposal.

She noted that more households than people might expect use sharps at home for diabetes management, pet injections, EpiPens, and GLP-1 medications. When needles end up in the garbage, Leichner said, they put waste hauler employees at risk.

Pride Disposal has accepted sharps at its Sherwood depot for several years, but the new public boxes offer a closer option for Tualatin-area residents who previously had limited choices.

How to use the box

Metro asks residents to deposit sharps inside quart-sized red sharps containers, not loose. Free containers are available at any Metro household hazardous waste facility or collection event. In a pinch, a hard plastic container like a laundry detergent bottle, clearly labeled, also works.

The boxes are for personal and household use only. Businesses needing sharps disposal should contact a medical waste management company or their local garbage hauler, according to Metro.

What's next

The other two pilot boxes are located outside the Cornelius Virginia Garcia Wellness Center at 1151 N. Adair St. and in the parking lot of the Marjorie Stewart Senior Community Center at 21907 S.W. Sherwood Blvd.

A fourth box is planned for Beaverton later in 2026, with five more locations to follow across the region, Ballash said.