Medical Waste Disposal in Tennessee

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

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Medical waste rules in Tennessee

Tennessee regulates non-hazardous medical waste as a special waste under its solid waste rules, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Rule Chapter 0400-11-01, rather than through a dedicated medical waste program. The rules define the waste and restrict how it may be landfilled; they do not register generators, license transporters or set a storage day limit at the generator.

  • What counts (Rule 0400-11-01-.01): seven categories of medical waste, including waste from patients isolated for communicable disease, cultures and stocks of infectious agents, waste human blood and blood products, pathological waste from surgery and autopsy, all discarded sharps (hypodermic needles, syringes, Pasteur pipettes, broken glass, scalpel blades), contaminated animal carcasses and contaminated surgical materials from patients with blood-borne disease. Medical waste is listed among the special wastes that are difficult or dangerous to manage.
  • Landfill restrictions (Rule 0400-11-01-.04(2)(k)4): sharps must be securely packaged in puncture-proof containers before landfilling; cultures and stocks may not be landfilled until treated (autoclaved or incinerated) to render them non-infectious; human blood, blood products and other body fluids may not be landfilled, apart from lightly contaminated items such as bandages; recognisable human organs and body parts may not be landfilled at all.
  • Special waste approval: a permitted landfill may accept special waste only with the Commissioner's approval and the procedures that approval sets out, which is why untreated medical waste in Tennessee goes through a treatment facility or an approved special-waste route rather than the ordinary dumpster. TDEC's Policy and Guidance Manual covers landfill disposal of treated non-hazardous medical waste.
  • Storage and packaging: the state rules set no storage day limit for generators. OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030), the US DOT rules for shipping regulated medical waste (49 CFR Part 173) and the treatment facility's acceptance terms govern containers, labels and how long waste can wait.
  • Hazardous pharmaceuticals are a separate stream: chemotherapy agents, nicotine, warfarin and other P- and U-listed drugs are hazardous waste under Rule 0400-12-01, and EPA's Subpart P for healthcare facilities has applied in Tennessee since April 11, 2022. Generating more than one kilogram of P-listed waste in a month makes a facility a large quantity generator.

Source: TDEC, Medical Waste (Rule Chapter 0400-11-01 and hazardous medical waste guidance).

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 Tennessee

  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 Tennessee

All facility types

Tennessee service questions

Do you serve every part of Tennessee?

We coordinate service through a network of qualified providers, and coverage in Tennessee 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 Tennessee?

Medical waste is regulated at the state level, alongside the federal OSHA, DOT and EPA rules that apply everywhere. The summary above covers the Tennessee 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 Tennessee?

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 Tennessee

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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