Funeral homes are responsible for preparing and processing the deceased while working with families, ministries, and cemeteries to provide meaningful last moments for the deceased's loved ones. The medical directors will generally perform the embalming process to preserve a corpse by treating it with chemicals. During this time, medical service providers will treat a lot of biohazardous waste and dispose of it with proper care to maintain the safety of employees and guests, while avoiding legal liabilities. Knowing the types of waste generated and how to dispose of it will keep your business safe and compliant. In this article, I will go over five types of waste that funeral homes commonly produce and their proper disposal method.
In This Article
How to Manage Funeral Home Waste
Five common types of generated waste
- Blood: When the deceased body is in the embalming process, the blood drains and various chemical fluids replace it through the veins. These chemicals can be toxic, typically including formaldehyde, methanol, sodium borate, sodium nitrate, glycerin, coloring agents, and water. It is standard to manage the blood and excess chemicals after embalming safely. Double bagging, using biohazardous approved plastic storage containers, and specific absorbents, may be required to dispose of this pathological waste. It's imperative to ensure that all pathological waste is labeled correctly to prevent accidental exposure.
- Sharps: Sharps can cause cuts or puncture wounds. Sharps include needles, scalpels, glass ampoules, razor blades, sharp-pointed pieces of bones and teeth, stitch cutters, and other disposable sharp instruments. These sharps may also have exposure to bodily fluids and toxic chemicals. Loose sharps must be placed in sturdy, puncture-proof, small, enclosed containers. The sharps containers must be clearly labeled to stay safe and out of harm's way until a medical waste service professional can pick them up.
- Medications and Pharmaceuticals: When bodies are embalming, they may still have traces of certain medications in their veins. Accidental exposure could include highly toxic chemotherapy elements that may cause irreversible damage. It is essential to follow the guidelines for handling and disposing of pathological and toxic waste and to avoid contact.
- PPE: Personal protective equipment includes gloves, masks, full body suits, eye protection, etc. This equipment will likely face exposure to bodily fluids, blood, and other pathogens that could create danger. These contaminated items are placed into red biohazardous bags to avoid contamination and accumulation.
- Materials used for body Preparation: Tissue builders, cosmetics, and adhesives used for body preparation may contain harmful solvents or chlorinated compounds, such as trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene. It is essential to handle these chemicals and any gauze and swabs used during application as hazardous waste. Any gauze or swabs used to apply these materials require proper disposal. Funeral homes generate many types of waste, and most are considered biohazardous. Awareness of the types of waste your home produces will allow you to decipher the proper handling and management of each. MedPro Disposal offers a broad spectrum of services, and we are ready to take care of all your waste disposal needs. Click here for your free quote and see what we can save you!
Common Questions
- What counts as medical waste?
- Medical waste is any waste generated during the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of humans or animals that may be contaminated with blood, body fluids, or other infectious material — including sharps, blood-soaked dressings, cultures, and pathological tissue. Non-contaminated items like standard packaging are not regulated medical waste.
- How much does medical waste disposal cost?
- Cost depends on waste volume, pickup frequency, container size, waste type, and location. Most practices pay a flat monthly or per-pickup rate rather than being billed per pound. Typical monthly costs range from about $50-$200 for small practices and dental offices up to $1,000+ for long-term care facilities, with hospitals and large health systems running $1,000-$50,000+ per month — see our full pricing breakdown by facility type. MedPro customers also save an average of 30% by switching from their previous provider.
- Is medical waste disposal legally required?
- Yes. Any facility generating regulated medical waste must comply with OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, applicable EPA/DOT rules, and their state's specific medical waste regulations, which vary by state.
- What's the difference between medical waste and biohazard waste?
- Biohazard waste is a subset of medical waste. Medical waste is the broad category (including sharps and pharmaceuticals); biohazard waste specifically refers to material containing or potentially containing infectious agents.
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