Alabama medical waste rules

What Alabama requires of medical waste generators.

A plain summary of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) medical waste rules, Alabama Administrative Code Division 335-17, as amended August 14, 2025. Written for clinics, practices, labs, and hospitals.

Who counts as a generator

Any medical facility or person that produces medical waste. The rules name hospitals, clinics, dental offices, veterinary clinics, funeral homes, and research facilities. A private household is not a generator. Waste a healthcare professional produces in a home is covered.

Register with ADEM

Every generator must register with ADEM within 30 days of starting operation. Registration is filed electronically on ADEM Form 410. There is no minimum volume.

Keep a written plan and train your staff

Generators keep a written management plan that covers the types of waste produced, how it is collected and packaged, where it is stored, who transports it, and how it is treated. Staff who handle medical waste need training for their role.

Package and label it

Containers must resist ripping, tearing, and bursting and keep moisture in. The outer packaging must be red or use red lettering on a contrasting background. It must say "Medical Waste," "Biohazardous," or "Infectious," or carry the biohazard symbol. Each container shows the facility name and address and the date it was packaged.

Sharps go directly into rigid, leak-proof, puncture-resistant containers that are sealed and labeled.

How long you can keep it on site

Stored waste must not be allowed to rot. The storage area needs warning signs and smooth surfaces that liquids can't soak into.

Who can transport it

Untreated medical waste must be hauled by a company with an Alabama Medical Waste Transporter Permit. Permits last three years. A generator producing less than 220 pounds a month may transport its own waste. Once waste leaves your facility, it must be treated within 14 days. Your records need your transporter's ADEM permit number, so ask for it.

Treatment before disposal

Medical waste must be treated before it goes to a landfill, either on site or at a permitted facility. The rules name incineration, steam sterilization in an autoclave (at least 250°F and 15 psi for 30 minutes), and pyrolysis. ADEM may approve other methods that protect people and the environment as well, like ozone. Treated waste goes to an approved municipal solid waste landfill. Body parts and recognizable tissue must be made unrecognizable.

Keep records

Generators keep records of their transporter, storage, treatment, and disposal facilities, including permit numbers. Transporters and storage and treatment facilities keep their records for at least three years.

Where Harvest fits

Harvest Solutions is an ADEM-permitted medical waste transporter (TRN112125-0101) serving more than 100 healthcare facilities. Every pickup comes with a manifest, kept in our client portal with your invoices. Our compliance courses, including OSHA and bloodborne pathogens, cover staff training. Harvest is the first company in Alabama approved to treat medical waste with ozone.

Sources: ADEM Division 335-17 Medical Waste Program rules and the Alabama Administrative Code. This page summarizes the rules and is not legal advice. ADEM's text controls. Last reviewed October 2026.