Medical Waste Disposal in Philadelphia, PA

Clean Waste Medical coordinates compliant medical waste pickup for healthcare facilities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: regulated medical waste, sharps, pharmaceutical and specialty streams, on a schedule that matches what you generate.

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Medical waste rules in Philadelphia, PA

Pennsylvania regulates regulated medical waste and chemotherapeutic waste through the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) under 25 Pa. Code Chapter 284, part of the Solid Waste Management Act. The chapter licenses transporters, sets a 30-day storage clock at the generator and uses 220 pounds a month as the line below which a practice may move its own waste.

  • Segregation and colour (§ 284.411): regulated medical waste, pathological waste and chemotherapeutic waste are separated at the point of origin into their own containers. Medical and pathological waste bags are fluorescent orange, orange-red or red; chemotherapeutic waste bags are yellow.
  • Containers (§ 284.413): leakproof on the sides and bottom, impervious to moisture and strong enough not to puncture, tear or burst. Used sharps go in rigid, tightly lidded, puncture-resistant containers; fluids over 20 cc in break-resistant, tightly lidded or stoppered containers.
  • Marking (§ 284.414): the outermost container shows the words regulated medical waste or chemotherapeutic waste, the universal biohazard symbol and the word BIOHAZARD, the date the container was filled or sealed and, for off-site transport, the generator's name, address and telephone number.
  • Storage (§§ 284.412, 284.415): no more than 30 days from the date the container is filled or sealed; waste that turns putrescent is removed within three business days, and refrigeration at 45°F (7°C) or below, or freezing at 0°F (-18°C) or below, is used when needed to keep it non-putrescent.
  • Transporters (§ 284.602): regulated medical or chemotherapeutic waste moves only with a transporter licensed by the DEP. A generator of less than 220 pounds a month may carry its own waste if it keeps the shipping papers; in transit, unrefrigerated waste may travel for up to 72 hours and refrigerated waste for up to five days (§ 284.512).
  • Tracking (§§ 284.701 to 284.714): every off-site shipment carries a log or shipping paper with the generator, the licensed transporter, the container count, the quantity and a signature. Records are kept for at least two years, and a generator that has not received delivery confirmation within 30 days reports it to the DEP.

Source: Pennsylvania DEP, 25 Pa. Code Chapter 284, Infectious and Chemotherapeutic Waste.

Reviewed September 2026.

General information, not legal advice. Requirements change; we confirm what applies to your facility during onboarding.Pennsylvania overviewAll states

Scheduling options in Philadelphia

  1. Scheduled route pickupWeekly, every other week, monthly or quarterly, set from what your Philadelphia facility actually generates and adjusted as volume changes.
  2. On-call pickupFor low-volume sites that fill a container every few months. You call when a container is ready and we schedule the collection.
  3. Multi-location programsOne point of contact for groups with several Philadelphia area sites, with pickup schedules, billing and documentation organized by location.

Services available in Philadelphia

  1. Regulated medical waste pickupScheduled 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 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 chemo waste disposalYellow-container collection for trace chemotherapy waste from oncology, infusion and specialty practices.Yellow container
  5. RCRA hazardous waste disposalBlack-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 Philadelphia

All facility types

Philadelphia service questions

How quickly can service start in Philadelphia?

After we review your facility details, operations confirms a route and start date before anything is promised. Timing depends on your address, waste streams and containers, so we give you an estimate once we have reviewed them.

Which rules apply to medical waste in Philadelphia?

Pennsylvania sets the state requirements for segregation, storage time, transporter permits and treatment; OSHA, DOT and EPA rules apply on top. The Pennsylvania summary above covers the points that most affect small and mid-size generators, and we confirm what applies to your facility during onboarding.

Do you handle multiple Philadelphia locations under one account?

Yes. Multi-location groups get one point of contact, with pickup schedules, billing and documentation organized by location.

What documentation do we receive?

A manifest or tracking document for every pickup, plus certificates of treatment where applicable, so your compliance file stays complete.

Medical waste pickup in Philadelphia, PA

Tell us your address, waste streams and current pickup schedule. We reply with a clear quote.

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