Except for a limited time in the past (June 24, 1989 to June 21, 1991) and within a limited range (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Puerto Rico) the generation, handling, transportation, and disposal of medical waste is not regulated by the US EPA under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).  For more information about medical waste and RCRA read:  US EPA Regulations for the Management of Medical Waste.  With the expiration of the provisions of the Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988, US EPA shifted responsibility for regulation of Medical Waste disposal to the individual states.

If your state is like most I am familiar with, the regulation of medical waste (sometimes also known as:  Regulated Medical Waste, Biomedical Waste, Infectious Waste, or Potentially Infectious Medical Waste) is limited to a solid or liquid waste which presents a threat of infection to humans or has come in contact with human or animal blood, tissue, fluids, excretion, etc. or devices that have come in contact with any of them.  Also – again, based on my experience – most states limited the sources of Regulated Medical Waste mostly to hospitals, dialysis clinics, dental offices, health maintenance organizations, surgical clinics, medical buildings, physicians’ offices, laboratories, veterinary clinics, funeral homes, tattoo parlors, and the like.

Not so in Florida.  This article will focus on the State of Florida’s inclusion of discarded sharps from industry, manufacturing, or other non-medical commercial entities as Biomedical Waste and what you must do as a Biomedical Waste Generator in Florida to comply with the regulations. (more…)