Waste Acceptance Policy
Updated January 2024
Waste Acceptance Policy for Controlled Substance Wastage Program
This policy defines acceptable and unacceptable waste for the controlled substance wastage program. This policy is not intended to summarize or capture all federal, state or local requirements that may apply to a particular facility’s controlled substance waste, and reliance on this policy is not a substitute for seeking legal advice.
ACCEPTED/CONFORMING CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE WASTE
Controlled Substance Waste: Controlled substance waste from institutional practitioners generated after the controlled substance has been administered to a patient on behalf of a registrant at the registrant’s location is acceptable for disposal in the controlled substance wastage program container. This material is also known as “controlled substance wastage.” Controlled substance waste includes liquids that have been expunged from a syringe, vial or ampule; and solids such as patches, pills, tablets or capsules.
NON-CONFORMING WASTE
The following are not acceptable as part of the controlled substance wastage program:
- Controlled substances that are part of registrant inventory
- Controlled substances from non-registrants or ultimate users (e.g., a person who possesses a controlled substance for personal use)
- Controlled substances that are classified as Schedule I by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration or equivalent state agency
- Hazardous wastes, including any controlled substances that are also hazardous waste pharmaceuticals*
- Chemical waste (such as lab reagents, solvents, cleaning products, amalgam, and/or chemicals used in compounding pharmaceuticals)
- Regulated medical waste, biohazardous waste or other potentially infectious materials
- Radioactive waste
- Any controlled substance wastage container that is damaged, breached, leaking or improperly packaged
- Any other waste that is not Controlled Substance Waste
*Customers that utilize a controlled substance wastage container to deposit controlled substances that are also hazardous waste pharmaceuticals should place the used controlled substance wastage container in one of the facility’s hazardous waste containers.
Updated January 2024
Waste Acceptance Policy for Regulated Medical Waste and Sharps Waste
This policy defines acceptable and unacceptable waste for regulated medical waste and sharps waste services. The purpose of this policy is to identify the waste that will and will not be accepted for treatment (non-incineration) as part of these services. This policy is not intended to summarize or capture all federal, state or local requirements that may apply to a particular facility’s regulated medical waste or sharps waste, and reliance on this policy is not a substitute for seeking legal advice. It is the responsibility of the waste generator to appropriately characterize and manage the waste it generates, and to comply with this policy. It is the responsibility of the waste generator to remove or obscure any protected health information or other personally identifiable information prior to providing waste for treatment.
ACCEPTED/CONFORMING WASTE – REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE
- Regulated Medical Waste: biohazardous, biomedical, infectious or regulated medical waste as defined under federal, state or local law; waste known or reasonably expected to contain a pathogen; a waste or reusable material derived from the medical treatment of an animal or human, which includes diagnosis and immunization, or from biomedical research, which includes the production and testing of biological products.
- Containerized Sharps Waste
ACCEPTED/CONFORMING WASTE – SHARPS WASTE
- Sharps Waste: any object contaminated with a pathogen or that may become contaminated with a pathogen through handling or during transportation and also capable of cutting or penetrating skin or a packaging material; needles, syringes, scalpels, broken glass, culture slides, culture dishes, broken capillary tubes, broken rigid plastic, and exposed ends of dental wires
NON-CONFORMING WASTE
- Complete human remains (including heads, full torsos and fetuses)
- Pathological waste (human or animal body parts, organs, tissues and surgical specimens (removed of formaldehyde formalin, or other chemical preservatives) animal carcasses, paraffin wax blocks)*
- Select agents or toxins, and untreated Category A infectious substances
- Prion waste*
- Any waste that is classified as hazardous by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or equivalent state agency
- Pharmaceutical waste (hazardous or non-hazardous*)
- Controlled substances which are regulated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration or equivalent state agency (including medical cannabis)
- Chemical wastes (such as solvents, chemical preservatives, or cleaning products)
- Large volumes of liquid and uncontained liquid
- Solidified suction canisters (California only)*
- Universal wastes (such as batteries, fluorescent lamps, or mercury-contaminated equipment)
- Compressed gas cylinders, canisters, aerosol cans or metered dose inhalers
- Electronic or battery powered equipment (such as cauterizers)
- Radioactive waste
- Chemotherapy-related waste*
- Loose Sharps Waste / Sharps Waste that is not in a sharps container
- Any container that is overweight, damaged, leaking or improperly packaged
- Any waste that is not Conforming Waste
- Any waste that is prohibited by law
Items marked with * may be acceptable if generator has incineration services.
Additional terms and conditions may apply based on treatment/transfer facility and other local restrictions.






Need shredding? GreenServ also provides shredding services throughout Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee and Arkansas.
If you’re interested, give us a call at (662) 533-0940