Waste Acceptance Policy

Entech’s medical waste acceptance policy ensures compliance with all current regulations regarding the collection, transportation, and treatment of regulated medical waste to protect all individuals who may have some contact with generated materials. To ensure that neither our customers nor Entech violates applicable regulations, it is important that all parties understand the rules regarding proper identification, classification, segregation, and packaging of wastes. The purpose of this policy is to summarize the minimum requirements for preparing your medical waste for collection, transportation, and treatment.

Remember, as a generator of medical waste, liabilities associated with medical wastes generated at your facility remain joint and several with your selected service provider until treated wastes are ultimately disposed at an approved facility.  Our policy has been designed with this in mind and in a manner which reduces our customers’ liabilities involving this highly regulated waste stream.

For added protection, we maintain extensive insurance coverage for our operations.  We have the ability to add your organization as a named insured on our policy if desired.  Please contact Entech at (800) 960-7253 or at service@157.245.212.41 for further information.

Accepted Regulated Medical Waste

  • General Biohazard Waste: Solidified blood, blood products, bodily fluids; Laboratory wastes (cultures, viruses, test tubes, culture plates); Contaminated instruments and disposal material; Sharps in rigid, puncture-resistant, OSHA approved sharps containers; IV tubing and bags, catheters; Disposable gloves and gowns, dressings; Human dialysis waste material; Disposable material contaminated with isolation waste as defined by and packaged according to OSHA requirements (29 CFR 1910.1030).  All containers and supplies offered by Entech meet these requirements.
  • Trace Chemotherapy Waste: Empty drug vials, syringes, spill kits, IV tubing and bags; Contaminated gloves and gowns; Chemotherapy containers must have less than 1 inch of fluid remains or no more than 3% by weight of the original quantity remaining.
    • Waste must be packaged separately and not co-mingled with general biomedical waste.
  • Pathological Waste: Human or animal tissue and surgical specimens.
    • Waste must be packaged separately and not co-mingled with general biomedical waste.
  • Non-Hazardous and Non-Controlled Pharmaceutical Waste: Pharmaceutical waste not subjected to DEA or RCRA regulations.
    • Pharmaceutical waste must be characterized and certified as non-RCRA hazardous material by the generator. Additional packaging and protocols apply. Contact Entech for further details.

Non-Accepted Regulated Medical Waste

  • Category A Infectious Waste:  A known infectious substance which is transported in a form that, when exposure to it occurs, is capable of causing permanent disability, life-threatening, or fatal disease in otherwise healthy humans or animals
  • Chemicals: Including but not limited to formaldehyde, acids, alcohols, and waste oil
  • Hazardous Waste:  Including, but not limited to, used solvents, batteries, drums, or other containers with hazardous warning symbols
  • Radioactive Waste: Any known radioactive material
  • RCRA Pharmaceutical Waste
  • Human Remains: Including fetuses, heads, cadavers, full torsos, and fetal material (specialized pathological material)
  • Bulk Chemotherapy Waste
  • Compressed Gas Cylinders: inhalers, aerosol cans or other similar containers
  • Solid Waste or general non-infectious garbage
  • Glass thermometers, sphygmomanometers, or any other medical devices or solution that may containing mercury
  • Some dental wastes (potentially containing mercury): Non-contact and contact amalgam and products, chairside traps, amalgam sludge or vacuum pump filters, extracted teeth with mercury fillings, and empty amalgam capsules

Packaging and Labeling of Medical Waste

  • Boxes or reusable containers are to be marked with the universal biohazard symbol and appropriate classification labeling (UN 3291).  All containers provided through Entech meet this requirement
  • General biohazard, pathological, and trace chemotherapy wastes are to be packaged separately and properly labeled as such
  • All acceptable medical waste should be placed in approved biohazard bags meeting DOT, ASTM, and DART specifications.  All supplies offered through Entech meet these specifications
  • All sharps to be placed in rigid, puncture-resistant sharps containers, color coded and marked with the universal biohazard symbol.  All sharps containers offered through Entech meet this specification
  • Bags must be tied closed when they are full
  • Boxes must be taped along the bottom seams and sealed with tape when full and stored
  • Container lids must be securely placed on containers when full
  • Full containers should be stored in a reasonably secure area until collected
  • Reasonable efforts should be made to limit access to collection bins from non-authorized individuals at your facility

Customers are responsible for packing regulated medical waste as outlined per USDOT and OSHA regulations, or as defined by any other federal, state, or local laws and regulations. Customer must store regulated medical waste in containers provided by Entech. Proper packaging and segregation of medical waste reduces the potential for accidental release of the contents along with exposure to employees and the general public.

All Entech customers are provided with packaging instructions that describe maximum weights, proper sealing/closure of inner bags and outer containers, and the proper packaging of sharps. These instructions are designed to be in compliance with the packaging requirements of 49 CFR 173.134, which require that waste be packaged in a container that is:

  1. Rigid;
  2. Leak resistant;
  3. Impervious to moisture;
  4. Of sufficient strength to prevent tearing or bursting under normal conditions of use and handling;
  5. Sealed to prevent leakage during transport;
  6. Puncture resistant for sharps and sharps with residual fluids;
  7. Break resistant and tightly lidded or stoppered for fluids in quantities greater than 20 cubic centimeters.

Entech may refuse containers that are improperly packaged, leaking, damaged, or likely to create risk of exposure to employees and the general public.

Please contact Entech at (800) 960-7253 or at service@157.245.212.41 with any questions you may have about medical wastes generated at your facility or our waste acceptance policy.