Medical Waste Disposal in Florida

Clean Waste Medical coordinates compliant regulated medical waste, sharps and pharmaceutical waste pickup for healthcare facilities across Florida. Scheduled or on-call service, compliant containers and a manifest for every collection.

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Medical waste rules in Florida

Florida's Department of Health regulates the packaging, storage, transport and treatment of biomedical waste under Chapter 64E-16, Florida Administrative Code, and issues the generator permit; the Department of Environmental Protection regulates incineration and disposal. County health departments do the inspections.

  • Permits (64E-16.011): every biomedical waste facility obtains an annual permit from the Department of Health, except a generator that produces or treats less than 25 pounds in each 30-day period, which is exempt from permit and fee requirements. Exempt facilities are still inspected, at least once every three years (64E-16.010).
  • Operating plan and training (64E-16.003): each facility keeps a written operating plan covering segregation, labeling, packaging, storage, transport, treatment, spill decontamination and emergencies, trains new staff before they handle waste, and refreshes training annually. Management records are kept for three years.
  • Storage (64E-16.004): no more than 30 days at the generating facility, counted from the moment the first non-sharps item goes into a red bag or sharps container, or from when a sharps-only container is sealed. Indoor storage areas have restricted access and cleanable surfaces; outdoor areas are secured and marked with a six-inch biohazard symbol.
  • Packaging and labeling: non-sharps waste is sealed at the point of origin in impermeable red bags (or sharps containers), and every package shows the international biohazard symbol with one of the phrases Biomedical Waste, Biohazardous Waste, Biohazard, Infectious Waste or Infectious Substance.
  • Transport (64E-16.006, 64E-16.008, 64E-16.009): generators contract only with transporters registered with the Department; the transporter gives the generator a receipt for each pickup. A generator moving less than 25 pounds of its own waste in its own vehicle on any one occasion is exempt from transporter registration.
  • Treatment (64E-16.007): steam, incineration or an approved alternative, within 30 days of collection from the generator.

Source: Florida Department of Health, Chapter 64E-16, Biomedical Waste.

Reviewed September 2026.

This summary is general information, not legal advice. Requirements change; we confirm what applies to your facility during onboarding.Regulations by state

Services in Florida

  1. Regulated Medical Waste and Biohazard Waste DisposalScheduled or on-call pickup of regulated medical waste, also called biohazard or red bag waste, from healthcare facilities: compliant containers, permitted transport and a manifest for every collection.Red bag, cardboard box
  2. Sharps Waste DisposalSharps container supply, exchange and disposal for practices of every size, from a single dental office to a hospital network.Red sharps container
  3. Pharmaceutical Waste DisposalCompliant collection and disposal of expired, unused and partially used non-hazardous pharmaceuticals, with the right stream for each drug.Blue container
  4. Trace Chemotherapy Waste DisposalYellow-container collection for trace chemotherapy waste from oncology, infusion and specialty practices.Yellow container
  5. RCRA Hazardous Pharmaceutical WasteBlack-container programs for RCRA-listed and characteristic hazardous pharmaceutical waste, with generator-status guidance and cradle-to-grave documentation.Black container
  6. Pathological Waste DisposalDedicated, labeled collection for tissues, organs and surgical specimens from surgery centers, labs, dermatology practices and veterinary clinics.Red bag, pathology label

Facilities we serve in Florida

All facility types

Florida service questions

Do you serve every part of Florida?

We coordinate service through a network of qualified providers, and coverage in Florida is confirmed address by address. Tell us your address and operations confirms whether a route is available before anything is promised.

Which rules apply to medical waste in Florida?

Medical waste is regulated at the state level, alongside the federal OSHA, DOT and EPA rules that apply everywhere. The summary above covers the Florida requirements that most affect small and mid-size generators. See our regulations guide for the federal picture and links to every state.

What waste streams can you pick up in Florida?

Regulated (biohazardous) medical waste, sharps, pharmaceutical waste, trace chemotherapy waste, RCRA hazardous pharmaceutical waste and pathological waste, subject to verification of each stream at onboarding.

We are under contract. Can we still talk?

Of course. Most facilities are. Share your renewal date and we will follow up before it, so you can compare options without being rushed.

Medical waste pickup in Florida

Send us your facility list and current schedule. We reply with a clear quote and a start date operations has confirmed.

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