Regulated Medical Waste
The Regulated Medical Waste (RMW) Program supports campus compliance with applicable New York State and federal requirements governing the handling, transport, treatment, and disposal of regulated medical waste generated through research, clinical, and animal care activities. Under New York State regulation, regulated medical waste is waste generated during the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of humans or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production and testing of biological materials, when that waste may pose an infectious risk.
At Cornell, regulated medical waste and animal carcasses are managed using treatment pathways selected based on risk, regulatory requirements, and operational needs. Most regulated medical waste and animal carcasses are rendered non-infectious through on-site autoclaving or approved biodigestion processes prior to disposal. Incineration is not routinely used and is reserved for specific waste streams when required.
The Regulated Medical Waste Program provides campus-wide coordination for container selection, compliant packaging, scheduled collection, transport, and documentation of regulated medical waste. Program activities include route scheduling and contingency planning, routine collection, container decontamination, data management, and customer support.
Regulated medical waste is collected from participating facilities on established routes, typically on Monday and Thursday mornings. Collection frequency and routing are based on the volume and nature of waste generated within individual laboratories or buildings. Call-in requests are accommodated within the established collection schedule.
Biosafety containment and decontamination requirements for regulated medical waste are implemented in accordance with laboratory risk assessments and applicable biosafety guidance, including the CDC/NIH Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL). Waste treatment and disposal are coordinated to ensure materials are rendered non-infectious prior to off-site transport or final disposition.