Medical Waste Disposal in Illinois
MedPro Disposal was founded in Illinois and is headquartered in Naperville. We provide regulated medical waste, sharps and pharmaceutical waste pickup and disposal for healthcare facilities everywhere in Illinois — with the manifests and paperwork the state requires handled for you.
How is medical waste disposal regulated in Illinois?
Illinois calls regulated medical waste potentially infectious medical waste (PIMW). The Illinois Pollution Control Board writes the rules (35 Ill. Adm. Code Parts 1420–1422), and the Illinois EPA enforces them — permitting PIMW haulers, storage sites and treatment facilities, and issuing the manifests that track every shipment. Facilities must segregate, package and label PIMW, hand it only to a permitted hauler, and keep their manifest copies for three years.
- State term
- PIMW
- Rules
- 35 Ill. Adm. Code 1420–1422
- Enforced by
- Illinois EPA
- Manifest records
- Keep 3 years
Key takeaways
- Illinois regulates medical waste as potentially infectious medical waste (PIMW) under 35 Ill. Adm. Code Parts 1420–1422.
- Only an Illinois EPA–permitted PIMW hauler may transport your medical waste, and every shipment travels with an IEPA manifest.
- PIMW must be segregated into sharps, oversized PIMW and all other PIMW, packed in rigid leak-resistant containers, and labeled “Biohazard” on two sides.
- Illinois sets no fixed storage time for practices, but stored PIMW must be kept from putrefying, protected and secured.
- Practices must keep a copy of every medical waste manifest for three years.
Illinois is home
MedPro Disposal was founded in 2009 in Park Ridge, Illinois, and our headquarters is in Naperville — roughly 30 minutes outside Chicago. Illinois practices were our first customers, and today we serve healthcare facilities across the entire state.
Every Illinois plan is built from two things: how much medical waste you produce and how often it needs to be picked up. You get red-lined boxes to collect your waste; on each scheduled pickup we take the full boxes and leave fresh ones. If your volume changes, we adjust your schedule.
Illinois Medical Waste (PIMW) Rules
Medical waste is regulated mainly by each state, with a few federal rules on top. In Illinois it’s governed by Title XV of the Environmental Protection Act and the Pollution Control Board’s rules in 35 Ill. Adm. Code Parts 1420–1422. Here’s what they require of a practice, clinic or other healthcare facility.
What Illinois regulates
Potentially Infectious Medical Waste (PIMW)
Waste generated in connection with the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals, research pertaining to the provision of medical services, or the production or testing of biologicals. Household waste is excluded, as is waste whose infectious potential has been eliminated by treatment. Teeth, with attached bone and gum, are excluded from pathological waste.
- Cultures and stocks
- Human pathological wastes
- Human blood and blood products
- Used sharps
- Animal waste
- Isolation waste
- Unused sharps
Who regulates medical waste in Illinois
Illinois Pollution Control Board
Writes Illinois’s environmental rules, including the PIMW regulations, and hears enforcement cases and permit appeals.
Illinois EPA — Bureau of Land
Enforces the PIMW rules: issues permits to haulers and to storage, transfer and treatment facilities, supplies the PIMW manifest forms, and inspects.
Illinois Department of Public Health
Licenses hospitals. Its hospital licensing rules add handling requirements — potentially infectious material in durable, tear-resistant bags and sharps in rigid containers.
Key Illinois requirements
| Topic | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Segregation | Separate PIMW into sharps, oversized PIMW and all other PIMW. Anything mixed with PIMW is regulated as PIMW. | 35 Ill. Adm. Code 1421.111 |
| Packaging | Use rigid, leak-resistant containers that are impervious to moisture and sealed for transport. Sharps go in puncture-resistant containers and are never packed with oversized PIMW. | 35 Ill. Adm. Code 1421.121 |
| Labeling | Two opposite sides of the outer package must show the biohazard symbol and the word “Biohazard” (plus “Sharps” when sharps are inside), readable from 5 feet, along with a water-resistant label giving the generator’s name, address and phone number. | 35 Ill. Adm. Code 1421.131 |
| Storage | Protect stored PIMW from water, wind, animals and pests; keep it from putrefying, refrigerating when necessary; lock outdoor storage areas and limit access to authorized staff; don’t compact it. | 35 Ill. Adm. Code 1422.111(a) |
| Transport | Only an Illinois EPA–permitted PIMW hauler may take it, with an IEPA manifest traveling with every shipment. PIMW may not be in transport for more than 10 days. (Exceptions: hauling your own waste, noncommercial loads under 50 lb, and the U.S. Postal Service.) | 415 ILCS 5/56.1; 35 Ill. Adm. Code 1420.105, 1421.141 |
| Treatment | PIMW can’t be disposed of untreated. Treatment must eliminate its infectious potential, proven by efficacy testing; treated sharps must also be made unrecognizable or managed as PIMW. | 415 ILCS 5/56.1(A); 35 Ill. Adm. Code 1422.122, 1422.126 |
| Records | Keep your copy of each manifest for three years. The treatment or disposal facility returns the original to you within 35 days of shipment. | 415 ILCS 5/56.4 |
- 415 ILCS 5/56 – 5/56.7
Environmental Protection Act, Title XV
The PIMW law: prohibited acts, hauler and facility permits, manifests, fees and sharps collection stations.
- 35 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1420
General Provisions
Who the rules cover, definitions, prohibitions, and when permits and manifests are required.
- 35 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1421
Activity Standards
How PIMW must be segregated, packaged, marked and transported.
- 35 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1422
Design and Operation of Facilities
Storage requirements, transfer stations, and treatment standards and testing.
Federal rules that also apply
| Topic | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens | Sharps containers must be closable, puncture-resistant, leakproof on the sides and bottom, labeled or color-coded, and kept upright and within easy reach. Other regulated-waste containers must be closable, leak-proof and labeled with the biohazard symbol (or red). Private employers are covered by federal OSHA; Illinois OSHA covers state and local government workplaces. | 29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(4)(iii), (g)(1) |
| DOT shipping | Regulated medical waste ships as Division 6.2, UN3291, in rigid packaging that meets UN Packing Group II standards, with puncture-resistant containers for sharps. | 49 CFR 173.134, 173.197 |
Reviewed September 2026. This is a plain-language summary to help you plan, not legal advice — rules change, so confirm details with the agencies above. MedPro handles transport, treatment and manifests for you and can help you understand what applies to your facility.
Illinois medical waste compliance checklist
Use this to check your practice against the Illinois PIMW rules and the federal OSHA standard. MedPro handles the pickup, manifests and treatment — the rest happens in your facility.
Get Compliant Pickup- 1
Waste is segregated at the point of use
Sharps, oversized PIMW and all other PIMW are kept separate; nothing regulated goes in the regular trash.
- 2
Sharps go in puncture-resistant containers
Closable, leakproof containers that stay upright and within easy reach, and are closed before removal.
- 3
Containers are rigid, leak-resistant and sealed
Impervious to moisture and strong enough not to tear or burst in transport.
- 4
Packages are labeled correctly
Biohazard symbol and “Biohazard” (plus “Sharps”) on two opposite sides, readable from 5 feet, with your facility’s name, address and phone.
- 5
Storage is protected and secured
Out of the weather and away from pests, kept from putrefying, locked if outdoors, and limited to authorized staff.
- 6
Your hauler holds an Illinois EPA PIMW permit
And every pickup comes with an IEPA manifest — you keep a copy.
- 7
Manifests are kept for three years
Including the originals the treatment facility returns within 35 days.
- 8
Staff are trained on bloodborne pathogens
OSHA requires bloodborne pathogens training for employees with occupational exposure.
Illinois Medical Waste Savings
Projected annual savings from quotes we’ve prepared for Illinois practices. Every practice is different — we charge only for the services you need.
See What You Could Save| Practice Type | ZIP Code | Annual SavingsProjected Annual Savings |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s Health | 60604 | $17,317 |
| Research Laboratory | 60654 | $15,000 |
| Surgery Center | 60617 | $5,989 |
| Fertility Clinic | 60657 | $5,500 |
| Podiatric Surgeons | 60610 | $3,551 |
| Pediatrics | 60657 | $1,018 |
It’s Easy to Get Started With MedPro Disposal
- 01
Contact Us
Contact MedPro Disposal for a fast, free medical waste removal quote. We’ll get to know you, discuss your needs, and settle on a number.
- 02
Waste Pickup Date
Work with MedPro Disposal to determine your first pickup date. We’ll confirm your office hours and provide convenient options for medical waste and sharps pickup.
- 03
Compliance Survey
After we get to know your requirements, we’ll send you a survey to identify any areas that need to be brought up to OSHA standards. All three steps occur at no additional cost to your practice.
We service all of Illinois
MedPro Disposal provides regulated medical waste pickup and disposal to healthcare facilities in every part of Illinois — wherever your practice is. Local service pages include:
Near the state line? We serve the neighboring states too.
Illinois Medical Waste FAQs
What is PIMW in Illinois?
PIMW — potentially infectious medical waste — is Illinois’s legal term for regulated medical waste. It covers waste from diagnosing, treating or immunizing people or animals, related research, and producing or testing biologicals, in seven categories: cultures and stocks, human pathological waste, human blood and blood products, used and unused sharps, certain animal waste, and isolation waste (415 ILCS 5/3.360).
Who regulates medical waste disposal in Illinois?
The Illinois Pollution Control Board writes the PIMW rules, and the Illinois EPA’s Bureau of Land enforces them — permitting haulers and treatment and storage facilities and supplying the manifest forms. The Illinois Department of Public Health adds handling rules for hospitals, and federal OSHA and DOT rules apply too.
How long can a medical practice store medical waste in Illinois?
Illinois doesn’t set a fixed number of days for practices and other generators. Instead, stored PIMW must be kept from putrefying — refrigerated when necessary — protected from weather and pests, and secured. The better-known 72-hour / 45°F and 30-day limits apply to permitted storage facilities (35 Ill. Adm. Code 1422.111). MedPro sets your pickup schedule to match how much waste you generate, so it never sits too long.
Does a medical waste hauler need a permit in Illinois?
Yes. Anyone hauling PIMW commercially needs an Illinois EPA PIMW hauling permit, and each shipment must travel with an IEPA manifest. The exceptions are hauling your own waste, noncommercial loads under 50 pounds at a time, and the U.S. Postal Service (415 ILCS 5/56.1; 35 Ill. Adm. Code 1420.105).
How long do I need to keep medical waste manifests in Illinois?
Three years. You receive a copy when your waste is picked up, and the treatment or disposal facility returns the original to you within 35 days. Keep them available for Illinois EPA inspection (415 ILCS 5/56.4).
Can sharps go in the regular trash in Illinois?
Not from a healthcare facility — used and unused sharps are PIMW and must be packaged in puncture-resistant containers and picked up by a permitted hauler. Sharps used at home aren’t PIMW, but Illinois law bars putting them in recycling; the Illinois EPA recommends a puncture-proof container with a tight lid, marked “Do Not Recycle.”
Where in Illinois does MedPro Disposal provide service?
Everywhere in Illinois — we service every city in the state, from Chicagoland to Carbondale. We also have local service pages for Chicago, Aurora, Elgin, Joliet, Naperville, Peoria, Rockford, Schaumburg, Springfield and Waukegan, and our headquarters is in Naperville.
How much does medical waste disposal cost in Illinois?
It depends on how much waste you generate and how often it’s picked up — we charge only for the services you need. MedPro quotes in Illinois have projected annual savings from about $1,000 for a pediatrics office to more than $17,000 for a women’s health practice. Request a free, no-obligation quote for your facility.
Our services in Illinois
Industries we serve
Sources
- Environmental Protection Act, Title XV (PIMW), 415 ILCS 5/56–5/56.7 — Illinois General Assembly
- Definition of PIMW, 415 ILCS 5/3.360 — Illinois General Assembly
- 35 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1420 — General Provisions — Illinois Pollution Control Board
- 35 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1421 — Activity Standards — Illinois Pollution Control Board
- 35 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1422 — Design and Operation of Facilities — Illinois Pollution Control Board
- Potentially Infectious Medical Waste — Illinois EPA
- PIMW Transporters — Illinois EPA
- Sharps Disposal — Illinois EPA
- Hospital Licensing Requirements, 77 Ill. Adm. Code 250 — Illinois Department of Public Health
- Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030 — U.S. OSHA
- Illinois State Plan — U.S. OSHA
- Regulated medical waste, 49 CFR 173.197 — eCFR
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