What is the short answer?
Medical waste is not the same category as hazardous waste. TDEC says medical wastes that are not hazardous waste are regulated under Tennessee solid waste Rule Chapter 0400-11-01. Hazardous waste follows a separate determination.
Who sets the medical waste rules?
EPA says it has not had specific medical waste authority since the Medical Waste Tracking Act expired in 1991. State environmental and health agencies set the working medical waste rules. OSHA and FDA have their own duties for workers and devices.
When does a drug or chemical become the other category?
TDEC says a pharmaceutical waste is hazardous waste if it is a solid waste that meets a listing or a characteristic in Tennessee Rule 0400-12-01-.02, which tracks 40 CFR Part 261. TDEC gives alcohol above 24 percent as an ignitability example. Read the current rule for the exact limit. This page does not decide whether a vial, syringe, or wipe is hazardous.
What should the quote separate?
Do not send one mixed list and expect one price to cover both programs. Name the streams apart.
- Sharps and blood-contaminated waste
- Unused or expired drugs
- Chemicals you already know are hazardous waste
- Ordinary office trash that is not a regulated stream
What this page does not decide
MedSafeWaste does not classify waste, assign a generator category, or tell you that a drug is non-hazardous. Start with the regulated medical waste guide and ask the provider for written acceptance criteria.
Official reference: TDEC: Medical waste. Confirm requirements for your facility with your regulator and selected provider.