Medical Waste Disposal in Mississippi
MedPro Disposal provides regulated medical waste, sharps and pharmaceutical waste pickup and disposal for healthcare facilities everywhere in Mississippi — from DeSoto County and the Delta to Jackson, the Pine Belt and the Gulf Coast — on a schedule built around how much waste you generate.
How is medical waste disposal regulated in Mississippi?
Mississippi calls regulated medical waste “infectious medical waste,” and two agencies share oversight. The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) sets on-site rules for the health care facilities it licenses — a written medical waste management plan, segregation, bagging, sharps containers, labeling and storage limits of 7 days above 38°F or 90 days frozen. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) regulates off-site transport, treatment and disposal under the Mississippi Solid Waste Law, and requires infectious waste to be rendered non-infectious before it goes to a municipal landfill. Mississippi has no comprehensive medical waste rule covering every generator, so federal OSHA and DOT rules fill much of the gap.
- State term
- Infectious medical waste
- Rules
- MSDH Adopted Standards for Medical Waste
- Regulated by
- MSDH (on-site) and MDEQ (off-site)
- Storage limit
- 7 days above 38°F (MSDH-licensed facilities)
Key takeaways
- Mississippi regulates medical waste as “infectious medical waste,” defined by the Mississippi State Department of Health in its Adopted Standards for the Regulation of Medical Waste.
- In Mississippi, health care facilities licensed by MSDH must keep a written medical waste management plan, regardless of how much medical waste they generate.
- MSDH-licensed facilities in Mississippi may not store infectious medical waste for more than 7 days above 38°F (6°C), or more than 90 days at or below 32°F (0°C), without MSDH approval; sharps in approved containers are exempt from this limit.
- Mississippi’s Department of Environmental Quality does not require medical waste transporters to hold a special license or permit, but the transporter must deliver the waste to a facility permitted to accept it.
- Mississippi does not require medical waste manifests, but MDEQ recommends that generators get certified manifests from their collector and keep copies on file.
Mississippi Medical Waste Rules
Medical waste is regulated mainly by each state, with a few federal rules on top. Mississippi splits the job: the Mississippi State Department of Health sets on-site handling and storage standards for the health care facilities it licenses, and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality regulates transport, treatment and disposal under the state’s general solid waste law. MDEQ notes it has not adopted comprehensive medical waste regulations, so federal OSHA and DOT rules carry much of the weight. Here’s what applies to a practice, clinic or other healthcare facility.
What Mississippi regulates
Infectious Medical Waste
Solid or liquid wastes which may contain pathogens with sufficient virulence and quantity such that exposure to the waste by a susceptible host has been proven to result in an infectious disease. Separately, Mississippi defines “medical waste” as all waste generated in direct patient care or in diagnostic or research areas that is non-infectious but aesthetically repugnant if found in the environment. Once infectious medical waste is treated and rendered non-infectious, it is classified as medical waste.
- Waste from the care of patients and animals with Class I or Class II reportable diseases transmitted by blood and body fluids
- Cultures and stocks of infectious agents, including discarded live and attenuated vaccines and culture dishes and devices
- Blood and blood products, such as serum, plasma and other blood components
- Pathological wastes (tissues, organs, body parts and body fluids removed during surgery and autopsy)
- Contaminated carcasses, body parts and bedding of animals exposed to pathogens in medical research
- Discarded sharps that have contacted infectious agents (needles, syringes, Pasteur pipettes, broken glass, scalpel blades)
- Other wastes determined infectious by the generator or classified as infectious by MSDH
Who regulates medical waste in Mississippi
Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) — Health Facilities Licensure Division
Sets and enforces the medical waste standards for the facilities it licenses — hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, hospices, ambulatory surgical facilities, birthing centers, ESRD facilities and others — including the medical waste management plan, containment and storage limits.
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) — Waste Division
Regulates the off-site management, treatment and disposal of infectious medical waste under the Mississippi Solid Waste Law and Nonhazardous Solid Waste Management Regulations, permits commercial medical waste storage, transfer and treatment facilities, and publishes a list of permitted medical waste facilities and service providers.
Federal OSHA — Jackson Area Office
Mississippi has no OSHA State Plan, so federal OSHA enforces the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard for private employers in all 82 counties.
Key Mississippi requirements
| Topic | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who the rules cover | MSDH’s standards apply to the health care facilities it licenses — including hospitals, nursing facilities, ambulatory surgical facilities, home health agencies and birthing centers — without regard to how much medical waste they generate, and each must have a written medical waste management plan. Offices MSDH doesn’t license, such as most physician and dental practices, aren’t named in the standards; MDEQ’s solid waste rules and federal OSHA and DOT rules still apply to them. | MSDH Adopted Standards, Medical Waste Management Plan; 15 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 16, Subpt. 1, R. 41.45.10 |
| Segregation and bagging | Segregate infectious medical waste from other waste at the point of origin. Non-sharps go in double disposable plastic bags or single bags 1.5 mils thick, impervious to moisture and strong enough not to rip, tear or burst, and securely tied so nothing leaks. Bags must be a distinctive color or display the universal biohazard symbol. | MSDH Adopted Standards, Part I.B, I.E, I.G |
| Sharps | All sharps go in leakproof, rigid, puncture-resistant containers, taped closed or tightly lidded, and labeled. Sharps containers may not be compacted except within the facility itself, or placed in a portable or mobile trash compactor. | MSDH Adopted Standards, Part I.F–I.H |
| Containers and labeling | Bagged waste is stored, handled and transported in leakproof pails, cartons, drums or bins with tight-fitting covers, kept clean and in good repair. Storage enclosures and containers must be secured against unauthorized access and carry prominent warning signs. Reusable containers must be washed and decontaminated each time they’re emptied unless protected by a liner. Trash chutes may not be used. | MSDH Adopted Standards, Part I.D, I.I–I.K |
| Storage | At MSDH-licensed facilities, infectious medical waste (except sharps in approved containers) may not be stored more than 7 days above 6°C (38°F); at or below 0°C (32°F) it may be kept up to 90 days, unless MSDH approves otherwise. Storage must be protected from animals, rain and wind, insects and rodents, and public exposure. | MSDH Adopted Standards, Part I.A, I.C |
| Transport | MDEQ doesn’t require medical waste transporters to hold a special license or permit. Once the collector takes the waste it assumes ownership, must manage it protectively and must deliver it to a facility permitted to accept it. The generator remains responsible for using a legitimate collector and confirming its waste is handled properly. The Mississippi Public Service Commission and U.S. DOT may also have requirements. | MDEQ Medical Waste Fact Sheet (Miss. Code Ann. § 17-17-1 et seq.) |
| Treatment and disposal | Infectious medical waste must be incinerated in an approved incinerator, steam-sterilized at 121°C (250°F) for at least 30 minutes, chemically sterilized with EPA-recognized sterilants, or — for liquids — discharged to an approved sewer. Recognizable human anatomical remains go to incineration or interment. Municipal landfills generally can’t accept infectious waste that hasn’t been rendered non-infectious. | MSDH Adopted Standards, Part II; MDEQ Medical Waste Fact Sheet |
| Records | Mississippi doesn’t require manifests for medical waste pickups, but MDEQ recommends that generators get certified manifests from their collector documenting proper management and disposal, with copies kept by the generator, collector and receiving facility. Facilities that steam-sterilize their own waste must keep sterilizer records for at least a year. OSHA training records are kept for three years. | MDEQ Medical Waste Fact Sheet; MSDH Adopted Standards, Part II.B.5; 29 CFR 1910.1030(h)(2) |
- MSDH Adopted Standards (Nov. 6, 1989)
Adopted Standards for the Regulation of Medical Waste in Health Care Facilities Licensed by the Mississippi State Department of Health
Defines infectious medical waste and medical waste, requires a medical waste management plan, and sets segregation, bagging, sharps, labeling, storage, decontamination and treatment rules for MSDH-licensed facilities, regardless of quantity. Linked to MDEQ’s Medical Waste Fact Sheet, which restates the definitions and points to MSDH for the full standards.
- 15 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 16, Subpt. 1, R. 41.45.8–41.45.10
Minimum Standards of Operation for Mississippi Hospitals — Medical Waste
Restates the definitions and requires every hospital generating infectious medical waste or medical waste to keep a management plan under the Adopted Standards. MSDH’s other facility chapters carry the same requirement.
- Miss. Code Ann. § 17-17-1 et seq.
Mississippi Solid Waste Law
The state law under which MDEQ regulates the transportation, off-site management and disposal of infectious medical waste, as a solid waste.
- 11 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 4, Ch. 1
Nonhazardous Solid Waste Management Regulations
MDEQ’s solid waste rules. Commercial facilities that store, transfer, treat or process infectious medical waste need MDEQ solid waste permits, and landfill permit conditions generally bar untreated infectious medical waste.
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). Mississippi has no OSHA State Plan: federal OSHA covers private employers, and state and local government workers aren’t covered by federal OSHA. | 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.
Mississippi medical waste compliance checklist
Use this to check your facility against MSDH’s medical waste standards, MDEQ’s guidance and the federal OSHA standard. MedPro handles the pickup, transport and treatment — the rest happens in your facility.
Get Compliant Pickup- 1
You have a written medical waste management plan
Required for every MSDH-licensed facility, whatever the volume, covering storage, containment, treatment and disposal.
- 2
Infectious medical waste is separated where it’s generated
Segregated from other waste at the point of origin and kept in its own containers.
- 3
Bags are the right strength and color
Double disposable plastic bags or single 1.5-mil bags, moisture-proof, securely tied, and of a distinctive color or marked with the universal biohazard symbol.
- 4
Sharps go into rigid, puncture-resistant containers
Leakproof and taped closed or tightly lidded, and labeled. Never compact sharps containers or put them in a trash compactor.
- 5
Outer containers are leakproof and covered
Bags go into pails, cartons, drums or bins with tight-fitting covers, kept clean and in good repair; reusable ones are decontaminated each time they’re emptied.
- 6
Storage is secured, signed and on schedule
Protected from animals, weather, insects and rodents, locked against unauthorized access, with warning signs — and, at licensed facilities, picked up within 7 days unless refrigerated below 38°F or frozen.
- 7
Your hauler takes waste to a permitted facility
Use a legitimate medical waste collector, confirm where your waste goes, and keep the manifests or pickup records MDEQ recommends.
- 8
Staff are trained on bloodborne pathogens
OSHA requires bloodborne pathogens training for employees with occupational exposure, with training records kept for three years.
Mississippi Medical Waste Savings
Projected annual savings from quotes we’ve prepared for Mississippi 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pediatrics | 38655 | $9,401 |
| Cardiology | 38655 | $7,332 |
| Women’s Health | 39759 | $4,800 |
| Dermatology | 39465 | $1,800 |
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 Mississippi
MedPro Disposal provides regulated medical waste pickup and disposal to healthcare facilities in every part of Mississippi — wherever your practice is. Local service pages include:
Near the state line? We serve the neighboring states too.
Mississippi Medical Waste FAQs
What counts as infectious medical waste in Mississippi?
MSDH defines infectious medical waste as solid or liquid waste that may contain pathogens capable of causing infectious disease. It includes waste from caring for patients or animals with Class I or II reportable bloodborne diseases, cultures and stocks of infectious agents, blood and blood products, pathological waste from surgery and autopsy, contaminated research animal carcasses and bedding, discarded sharps that contacted infectious agents, and anything else the generator or MSDH classifies as infectious (MSDH Adopted Standards for the Regulation of Medical Waste).
Who regulates medical waste disposal in Mississippi?
Two state agencies. The Mississippi State Department of Health’s Health Facilities Licensure Division sets on-site handling and storage standards for the facilities it licenses — (601) 364-1100. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality regulates transport, treatment and disposal under the Mississippi Solid Waste Law — (601) 961-5171. Federal OSHA enforces the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard for private employers, and U.S. DOT rules govern shipping.
How long can a medical facility store infectious medical waste in Mississippi?
For facilities licensed by MSDH, infectious medical waste (other than sharps in approved containers) may not be stored more than 7 days above 38°F (6°C). At or below 32°F (0°C) it may be kept up to 90 days, unless MSDH approves otherwise (MSDH Adopted Standards, Part I.C). Mississippi sets no separate storage limit for offices MSDH doesn’t license. MedPro sets your pickup schedule around how much you generate so waste doesn’t build up.
What does Mississippi require of medical waste haulers?
MDEQ doesn’t currently require medical waste transporters to hold a special license or permit. Once a collector takes your waste it assumes ownership and must deliver it to a facility properly permitted to accept it — but you remain responsible for choosing a legitimate collector and confirming your waste is handled properly (MDEQ Medical Waste Fact Sheet). MDEQ publishes a list of permitted medical waste facilities and service providers, and the Mississippi Public Service Commission and U.S. DOT may also have requirements.
What records do I need to keep for medical waste in Mississippi?
Mississippi doesn’t require medical waste manifests, but MDEQ recommends getting certified manifests from your collector documenting proper management and disposal, and keeping copies on file. MSDH-licensed facilities must keep a written medical waste management plan, and those that sterilize their own waste must keep sterilizer records for at least a year. OSHA requires bloodborne pathogens training records to be kept for three years.
Can untreated medical waste go to a landfill in Mississippi?
Generally no. MDEQ’s landfill permit conditions generally prohibit municipal solid waste landfills from accepting infectious medical waste that hasn’t been rendered non-infectious (MDEQ Medical Waste Fact Sheet). Once treated — by incineration or steam sterilization, for example — it’s classified as medical waste and may be landfilled at an approved landfill. Recognizable human anatomical remains must be incinerated or interred.
Where in Mississippi does MedPro Disposal provide service?
Everywhere in Mississippi — we serve healthcare facilities statewide, not just the Jackson area. We also have local service pages for Biloxi, Florence, Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Meridian and Southaven.
How much does medical waste disposal cost in Mississippi?
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 Mississippi have projected annual savings from about $1,800 for a dermatology practice to $9,401 for a pediatrics practice. Request a free, no-obligation quote for your facility.
Our services in Mississippi
Industries we serve
Sources
- 15 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 16, Subpt. 1, Ch. 41 — Minimum Standards of Operation for Mississippi Hospitals — Mississippi State Department of Health
- Medical Waste Fact Sheet — Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
- Special Waste Management Guidelines — Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
- Listing of Medical Waste Facilities and Service Providers (2024) — Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
- Nonhazardous Solid Waste Management Regulations (11 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 4) — Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
- Locations and Directions — Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
- Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030 — U.S. OSHA
- State Plans (Mississippi is under federal OSHA) — U.S. OSHA
- Jackson Area Office — U.S. OSHA
- Infectious substances, 49 CFR 173.134 — eCFR
- Regulated medical waste, 49 CFR 173.197 — eCFR
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