Medical Waste Disposal for Johnson City, TN

Celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2019, Johnson City was founded where three railroads crossed. Johnson City landed #65 on Forbes “Best Small Places for Business and Careers.” The Tennessee city has been nicknamed “Little Chicago” since the 1920s and music buffs may recognize it as the home of the famed recording sessions “Jonson City Sessions” of the same decade. Johnson City is Tennessee’s ninth-largest city and can be found in Washington County, with parts also in Sullivan and Carter Counties. Lying at the feet of the Appalachians, the city and the surrounding areas are full of beautiful scenery to take in and is bustling with activities for all ages.

MWA is the leading provider of medical waste disposal services in the Johnson City, Tennessee area.

Three of the top 5 employers in Johnson City are healthcare organizations.  It’s the home to Franklin Woods Community Hospital and Johnson City Medical Center. It’s also home to East Tennessee State University (ETSU) which operates a College of Pharmacy, College of Nursing and Quillen College of Medicine.

With this kind of medical presence, there is certain to be a large production of biomedical waste, a type of solid or liquid biowaste that has been contaminated by a biohazardous agent, and therefore there is a need for disposal of this waste in a compliant way.

Complete the form on this page or call us to discuss your unique needs. We look forward to hearing from you. 

Biomedical waste treatment can occur either on-site at the generator’s facility or off-site at a licensed treatment facility. When dealing will large quantities of biomedical waste, however, the use of expensive equipment is typically required, so most prefer offsite treatment. After treatment, the waste is then taken to a medically approved landfill. If the waste contains either infectious or potentially infectious material, it is considered to be “medical waste.” Included in this category is waste that has been made by healthcare and medical facilities such as hospitals, physician’s offices, urgent care facilities, dental offices, retail health practices, home healthcare agencies, nursing homes, laboratories, medical research facilities, mortuary and autopsy centers, funeral homes, veterinary clinics, blood banks, blood collection services, and other health facilities.

The Medical Waste Tracking Act was passed by the federal government in 1988 which allowed regulations to be formed by the EPA regarding the management of medical waste. Since this happened, other agencies at the federal level have established additional medical waste regulations. The relevant agencies include the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), US Department of Transportation (DOT), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and potentially others. For Johnson City, the Tennessee Department of Environmental and Conservation (TDEC) Division of Solid Waste Management (DSWM) has given rules and regulations relating to the disposal of medical waste in Tennessee. The Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens Standard was published by OSHA in 1991, coining the term “regulated waste,” otherwise known as “regulated medical waste” RWM). It included rules regarding sharps management, labeling, regulated medical waste containers, and employee training. Tennessee, at the state level, closely mirrors the EPA’s federal guidelines for Universal Waste and Hazardous Waste management.

There are many types of waste streams produced by healthcare facilities: generally speaking, non-hazardous and hazardous. Non-hazardous waste can be further segregated into

• Regulated Medical Waste
• Pathological Waste
• Trace Chemo Chemical Waste
• Pharmaceutical Waste

Hazardous waste has been defined by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and is broken down into four more categories: F, K, P, and U list wastes, categorization depending on whether the waste is source-specific and the substance’s level of toxicity. 

Sometimes, it can be confusing and very time consuming to ensure every regulation is followed and each type of medical waste is appropriately disposed of. Medical Waste of America (MWA) offers cost-efficient and compliant waste disposal services to Johnson City and the surrounding Tri-City area.

MWA either meets of exceeds all regulations and requirements of every state and federal rule regarding waste collection, transfer, transport, and disposal. MWA is fully licensed, insured, and permitted properly so that you can be confident in our ability to dispose of all infectious medical waste in a complaint manner. Not only will you have the commitment of both compliance and safety, but Medical Waste of America offers online training, an SDS library, and access to TOSHA private consulting for your facility.

Call us today or complete the form on this page to discuss your unique medical waste needs in Johnson City. We look forward to hearing from you.