Medical Waste Program

The Medical Waste Program ensures health and safety protection for members of the public and health care facility personnel by minimizing or eliminating exposure to biohazardous wastes containing pathogenic organisms and sharps. This is accomplished through the implementation and enforcement of medical waste regulations as they apply to handling, storage, treatment, and disposal of biohazardous waste within Sacramento County. Specifically, EMD is responsible for implementing the Medical Waste Management Act (MWMA), Health and Safety Code 117600-118360. The MWMA regulates the generation, handling, storage, treatment and disposal of medical waste.

The Medical Waste Management Program is mandated to enforce State codes, and such regulations as may be adopted, pertaining to the management of regulated medical waste. To protect public health and the environment from potential infectious exposure to disease causing agents, Sacramento County EMD permits and inspects businesses generating medical waste.

For information on whether your business requires a permit as a medical waste generator, please contact (916) 875-8440 and ask to speak to a medical waste specialist.

Registration of SQGs

Effective July, 2021, small quantity generators of medical waste, who generate less than 200lbs total of medical waste each month, are required by County Ordinance to register with the County of Sacramento Environmental Management Department. The Small Quantity Medical Waste Registration is valid for 2 years. For information on whether your business requires a small quantity generator registration contact medical waste program specialist at (916) 875-8440 or medicalwaste@saccounty.gov.

Home Generated Medical Waste

As of September 1, 2008, Senate Bill 1305 has prohibited the disposal of home-generated sharps into any container used for private or commercial collection of solid waste, recyclable materials, or green waste. Sharps are now required to be placed in an approved sharps container and managed through a waste management facility, an approved home sharps collection site, or by using an approved mail-back system. Below are links to home-generated medical waste disposal options in Sacramento County.

California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Medical Waste Program