Regulated Medical Waste

We provide medical waste removal to all academic departments, with strict adherence to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Health regulations regarding the handling and disposal of regulated medical waste (RMW). Learn more about the University's regulated medical waste policies.

Red RMW bags are available from CUIMC Facilities Management and should be pre-printed with the street address where the waste is generated.

• Transport all red bags containing RMW to a large, multi-gallon, red container in a designated location on your floor. 
• CUIMC Facilities Management's medical waste disposal vendor then collects RMW from the designated locations for removal.
• Important: Do not use red bags for regular garbage collection.

Needles and other sharps should be placed in FDA-cleared sharps disposal containers immediately after use. Reusable, full containers provided by the vendor are placed outside of labs for pick up and exchange for empty containers. We can also pick up and dispose of sharps containers at your request.Labs purchasing their own benchtop sharps containers should ensure these meet what the FDA recommends. 

• Representatives from the medical waste disposal vendor are onsite every Monday and Thursday to pick-pick up and replace reusable sharps containers.
• Reusable sharp containers should be placed outside each of the laboratory doors on the day before scheduled pick-up days to ensure proper service and replacement of the reusable containers. 

Cost

There is no charge for medical waste removal or for removing sharps containers. To arrange for a special pick up, submit a work order online.