Medical Waste Disposal in Texas
MedPro Disposal provides regulated medical waste, sharps and pharmaceutical waste pickup and disposal for healthcare facilities everywhere in Texas — from the Panhandle and El Paso to the Gulf Coast and the Rio Grande Valley — on a schedule built around how much waste you generate.
How is medical waste disposal regulated in Texas?
Texas regulates medical waste — “special waste from health care-related facilities” — under two sets of rules: the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s 30 TAC Chapter 326, which covers packaging, labeling, shipping, transport, storage and treatment facilities, and the Department of State Health Services’ 25 TAC §§1.131–1.137, which define the waste and set the approved treatment methods. Generators must segregate medical waste, pack it in rigid, leak-resistant outer containers (puncture-resistant ones for sharps), and label it with a bilingual English–Spanish warning and the biohazard symbol. Waste may go only to a TCEQ-registered transporter, the generator must get a signed manifest for each shipment, and those manifests must be kept for three years.
- State term
- Special waste from health care-related facilities
- Rules
- 30 TAC Ch. 326; 25 TAC §§1.131–1.137
- Regulated by
- TCEQ (with DSHS for treatment methods)
- Manifests kept
- 3 years
Key takeaways
- Texas regulates medical waste under 30 TAC Chapter 326 (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) and 25 TAC §§1.131–1.137 (Department of State Health Services).
- Texas classes medical waste generators as small quantity (50 pounds or less a month) or large quantity (more than 50 pounds a month) under 30 TAC 326.3.
- Texas requires the outer container of medical waste to carry the warning “CAUTION, contains medical waste which may be biohazardous” twice in English and twice in Spanish, with the biohazard symbol.
- In Texas, generators may release medical waste only to a TCEQ-registered transporter (or transport it themselves) and must keep the signed manifest for each shipment for three years.
- Texas sets no fixed storage time limit or refrigeration requirement for a generator’s on-site storage; the 45°F rule applies to transporters and processors holding waste more than 72 hours after collection.
Texas Medical Waste Rules
Medical waste is regulated mainly by each state, with a few federal rules on top. Texas splits the job between two agencies: the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regulates how medical waste is packaged, shipped, transported, stored and treated under 30 TAC Chapter 326, and the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) defines the waste and approves treatment methods under 25 TAC §§1.131–1.137. Here’s what they require of a practice, clinic or other healthcare facility.
What Texas regulates
Medical Waste (Special Waste from Health Care-Related Facilities)
Treated and untreated special waste from health care-related facilities that is comprised of animal waste, bulk blood, bulk human blood, bulk human body fluids, microbiological waste, pathological waste, and sharps, as defined in 25 TAC §1.132, from the sources specified in 25 TAC §1.134, as well as regulated medical waste as defined in 49 CFR 173.134(a)(5). “Bulk” means a containerized, aggregate volume of 100 mL or more. The term excludes medical waste produced on a farm or ranch and artificial materials, such as orthopedic devices and breast implants, removed from a patient and requested by the patient; homes and hotels are not health care-related facilities.
- Animal waste (carcasses, body parts, bulk blood and bedding of animals intentionally exposed to pathogens)
- Bulk human blood, blood products and body fluids, including disposable items saturated with them
- Microbiological waste (cultures and stocks of infectious agents, discarded live and attenuated vaccines, used culture dishes and devices)
- Pathological waste (human materials removed during surgery, labor and delivery, autopsy, embalming or biopsy, and lab specimens of blood and tissue)
- Sharps (contaminated needles, scalpel and razor blades, IV stylets, glass pipettes, slides and broken lab glass; needles and syringes with needles regardless of contamination)
- Regulated medical waste as defined by U.S. DOT (49 CFR 173.134(a)(5))
Who regulates medical waste in Texas
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) — Municipal Solid Waste Permits Section
Administers 30 TAC Chapter 326: registers medical waste transporters and treatment facilities, receives on-site treatment notifications, and sets the packaging, labeling, manifest and recordkeeping rules for generators. Regional offices handle inspections and enforcement.
Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) — Public Health Sanitation Program
Maintains 25 TAC §§1.131–1.137, which define special waste from health care-related facilities and set the approved treatment and disposal methods for each type, and reviews and approves alternate treatment technologies.
Federal OSHA — Texas Area Offices
Texas has no OSHA State Plan, so federal OSHA enforces the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard for private employers, through Area Offices in Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston (North and South), Lubbock and San Antonio.
Key Texas requirements
| Topic | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who the rules cover | Medical waste from public and private health care-related facilities, including hospitals, clinics (medical, dental, veterinary), physician, dental and acupuncture offices, ambulatory surgical centers, labs, blood banks, dialysis facilities, EMS, home health agencies, long-term care, pharmacies, funeral establishments and tattoo studios. Generators of 50 lb or less a month are small quantity generators (SQGs); more than 50 lb a month, large quantity generators (LQGs). | 25 TAC §1.134(b); 30 TAC 326.3(14) |
| Segregation and packaging | Identify and segregate medical waste from ordinary trash before packaging; if they’re combined, the whole lot is medical waste. Place it in an outer container that is rigid, leak resistant, impervious to moisture, strong enough not to tear or burst in normal handling, and sealed — or as DOT’s infectious substance rules require. | 30 TAC 326.17, 326.19(a) |
| Sharps | Place sharps in a rigid, marked, puncture-resistant container designed for sharps. Needles and syringes with attached needles are sharps whether or not they’re contaminated, and contaminated sharps must be treated by an approved method before landfill disposal. | 30 TAC 326.19(b); 25 TAC §§1.132(44), 1.136(a)(5) |
| Labeling | Mark the outer container with the biohazard symbol and the warning “CAUTION, contains medical waste which may be biohazardous” / “PRECAUCIÓN, contiene desechos medicos que pueden ser peligro biológico” on the sides, twice in English and twice in Spanish. Each container also needs a label with the generator’s name and address and the shipment date, and the transporter’s name, address, phone and state registration number, in indelible ink with letters at least 0.25 inch tall. | 30 TAC 326.21 |
| Storage | On-site storage of a generator’s own medical waste needs no permit if it’s secure — protected from theft, vandalism, inadvertent human or animal exposure, rain, water and wind — and doesn’t create a nuisance. There’s no fixed time limit, and refrigeration during a generator’s pre-collection storage is optional; the 45°F requirement applies to waste held more than 72 hours in post-collection storage by a transporter or processor. | 30 TAC 326.31(a), 326.3(53), 326.53(b)(6)(B)(vi) |
| Transport | Generators may transport their own waste only if they generate less than 50 lb a month; otherwise they must release it to a transporter registered with TCEQ. Transporters hold a registration by rule renewed each year, use fully enclosed, leak-proof, locked cargo compartments marked with their name, “TCEQ,” their registration number and “Caution: Medical Waste,” and may deliver untreated waste only to an authorized facility. | 30 TAC 326.23(a), (f), 326.31(b), 326.53 |
| Manifests and records | Get a signed manifest from the transporter for each shipment (except First Class or Priority Mail) and keep manifests for all untreated medical waste shipments for three years, available for TCEQ inspection. The transporter must give you a statement of the total weight or volume collected within 45 days, and the treatment facility sends a copy of the shipping document with a statement that the waste was treated by an approved method. | 30 TAC 326.23(b)–(d), 326.53(b)(9) |
| Treatment and disposal | Medical waste must be treated by a DSHS-approved method for its category — such as steam disinfection, incineration, chemical or moist heat disinfection, or an approved alternate process — before landfill disposal. Treated waste going to a landfill must be accompanied by a statement that it was treated by an approved method. Generators that treat their own waste on-site must notify TCEQ and keep treatment records. | 25 TAC §1.136; 30 TAC 326.23(e), 326.39, 326.41 |
- Tex. Health & Safety Code Ch. 361
Solid Waste Disposal Act
The state law on which TCEQ’s medical waste rules are based, including the statutory definition of medical waste (§361.003).
- 30 TAC Chapter 326
Medical Waste Management
TCEQ’s rules for identifying, packaging, labeling and shipping medical waste, generator classes (50 lb a month), transporter registration, manifests, storage and treatment facilities.
- 25 TAC §§1.131–1.137
Definition, Treatment, and Disposition of Special Waste from Health Care-Related Facilities
DSHS’s rules defining each category of special waste, listing the facilities covered, and setting the approved treatment and disposal methods for each.
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). Texas 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. Texas’s definition of medical waste includes DOT-defined regulated medical waste. | 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.
Texas medical waste compliance checklist
Use this to check your facility against TCEQ’s and DSHS’s medical waste rules and the federal OSHA standard. MedPro handles the pickup, transport and treatment — the rest happens in your facility.
Get Compliant Pickup- 1
Medical waste is identified and segregated
Separated from ordinary trash before packaging. Anything mixed in with medical waste counts as medical waste.
- 2
Sharps go into rigid, puncture-resistant containers
Marked containers designed for sharps — and needles and syringes with attached needles count as sharps whether or not they’re contaminated.
- 3
Outer containers are rigid, leak-resistant and sealed
Impervious to moisture, strong enough not to tear or burst in normal handling, or as otherwise required by DOT.
- 4
Outer containers carry the bilingual warning
The biohazard symbol plus “CAUTION, contains medical waste which may be biohazardous” twice in English and twice in Spanish on the sides.
- 5
Each container is labeled for shipment
Your name and address and the shipment date, plus the transporter’s name, address, phone and state registration number — in indelible ink, letters at least ¼ inch tall.
- 6
Your storage area is secure
Protected from theft, vandalism, inadvertent human or animal exposure, rain, water and wind, and managed so it doesn’t create a nuisance.
- 7
Waste goes only to a registered transporter, with a manifest
Get a signed manifest for every shipment and keep manifests for three years.
- 8
Staff are trained on bloodborne pathogens
OSHA requires bloodborne pathogens training for employees with occupational exposure, with training records kept for three years.
Texas Medical Waste Savings
Projected annual savings from quotes we’ve prepared for Texas 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Surgery Center | 76234 | $17,700 |
| Heart Center | 77384 | $11,940 |
| Orthopedic | 75231 | $10,548 |
| Family Practice | 78613 | $3,060 |
| Family Medicine | 78539 | $3,035 |
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 Texas
MedPro Disposal provides regulated medical waste pickup and disposal to healthcare facilities in every part of Texas — wherever your practice is. Local service pages include:
Near the state line? We serve the neighboring states too.
Texas Medical Waste FAQs
What counts as medical waste in Texas?
Texas’s rules call it “special waste from health care-related facilities,” and TCEQ calls it medical waste. It covers animal waste from animals intentionally exposed to pathogens, bulk human blood, blood products and body fluids (100 mL or more, including saturated items), microbiological waste, pathological waste and sharps, plus DOT-defined regulated medical waste (30 TAC 326.3(23); 25 TAC §1.132). Needles and syringes with attached needles count as sharps even if they’re unused.
Who regulates medical waste disposal in Texas?
Two state agencies. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality regulates packaging, labeling, shipping, transport, storage and treatment facilities under 30 TAC Chapter 326 — its Municipal Solid Waste Permits Section is at (512) 239-2335. The Department of State Health Services defines the waste and approves treatment methods under 25 TAC §§1.131–1.137. Federal OSHA enforces the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard for private employers, and U.S. DOT rules govern shipping.
Does the 50-pound threshold matter for my practice?
It decides whether you can haul your own waste. Generators of 50 pounds or less a month are small quantity generators, and those under 50 pounds may transport their own untreated medical waste to an authorized facility without a transporter registration (30 TAC 326.3(14), 326.31(b)). Everyone else must use a TCEQ-registered transporter. Packaging, labeling and manifest rules apply to generators of any size (326.31(c)).
How long can a medical practice store medical waste in Texas?
Texas sets no fixed storage time limit for a generator’s on-site storage, and refrigeration before pickup is optional. Stored waste must be kept secure — protected from theft, vandalism, inadvertent human or animal exposure, rain, water and wind — and must not create a nuisance (30 TAC 326.31(a)). The 45°F requirement applies only to transporters and processors holding waste more than 72 hours after collection. MedPro sets your pickup schedule around how much you generate so waste doesn’t build up.
What does Texas require of medical waste haulers?
Anyone other than the generator who transports untreated medical waste must hold a TCEQ registration by rule, renewed each year, and file an annual report. Their vehicles need fully enclosed, leak-proof, locked cargo compartments with impervious floors and sides, marked with the transporter’s name, “TCEQ,” the registration number and “Caution: Medical Waste.” They must give you a signed manifest at pickup and deliver only to an authorized facility (30 TAC 326.53). TCEQ’s Central Registry lists registered transporters.
What records do I need to keep for medical waste in Texas?
Keep the signed manifest from each pickup for three years after the shipment, available for TCEQ inspection (30 TAC 326.23(b)–(d)). Within 45 days you should also receive the total weight or volume collected and, from the treatment facility, a statement that your waste was treated by an approved method. Facilities that treat waste on-site keep treatment records, and OSHA requires bloodborne pathogens training records to be kept for three years.
Where in Texas does MedPro Disposal provide service?
Everywhere in Texas — we serve healthcare facilities statewide, not just the big metro areas. We also have local service pages for Amarillo, Arlington, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, Plano and San Antonio.
How much does medical waste disposal cost in Texas?
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 Texas have projected annual savings from about $3,035 for a family medicine practice to $17,700 for a surgery center, with larger savings for high-volume surgical facilities. Request a free, no-obligation quote for your facility.
Our services in Texas
Industries we serve
Sources
- 30 TAC Chapter 326 — Medical Waste Management — Texas Secretary of State, Texas Administrative Code
- 25 TAC Chapter 1, Subchapter K (§§1.131–1.137) — Definition, Treatment, and Disposition of Special Waste from Health Care-Related Facilities — Texas Secretary of State, Texas Administrative Code
- Health and Safety Code Chapter 361 — Solid Waste Disposal Act — Texas Legislature, Texas Constitution and Statutes
- Chapter 326 History Page — Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
- Medical Waste — Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
- What Is Medical Waste? — Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
- Information for Medical Waste Generators — Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
- Transporting Medical Waste — Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
- Disposing of Sharps, Syringes, and Other Related Waste — Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
- Texas Regulations on Medical Waste (RG-001) — Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
- MSW Permits Section Contact — Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
- Medical Waste Treatment Technologies — Texas Department of State Health Services, Public Health Sanitation Program
- Contact Information — Public Health Sanitation Program — Texas Department of State Health Services
- Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030 — U.S. OSHA
- State Plans (Texas is under federal OSHA) — U.S. OSHA
- Texas OSHA Area Offices — U.S. OSHA
- Infectious substances, 49 CFR 173.134 — eCFR
- Regulated medical waste, 49 CFR 173.197 — eCFR
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