Medical waste
Medical waste mail back
For sites too small or too remote for a scheduled route.
Mail back programmes provide prepaid, DOT approved containers for low volume generators. The generator fills the container, seals it and ships it to a permitted treatment facility, receiving documentation in return.
Source: 49 CFR Part 173, and USPS Publication 52Who mail back suits
- Small medical, dental and veterinary practices
- Home health and mobile care providers
- Tattoo studios and body piercing operations
- Sites outside scheduled route coverage
- Occasional or seasonal generators
- Satellite clinics attached to larger systems
How it works
- Prepaid container arrives with instructions and packaging
- Generator fills to the marked line and never above it
- Container sealed per the instructions and placed in the outer shipping box
- Shipped through the approved carrier using the supplied label
- Treatment facility processes and documents receipt
- Certificate of treatment returns to the generator
Mail back containers are DOT approved packaging. Substituting your own box voids the approval and makes the shipment non compliant.
Run by our division
Bio Med Solutions operates the mail back programme, including for generators well outside the Gulf Coast route area. Same documentation as a scheduled pickup, no route required.
Visit Bio Med SolutionsCommon questions
Is mail back compliant?
Yes, when using approved packaging through an approved carrier to a permitted facility. It is a recognized route for low volume generators and produces the same documentation as scheduled collection.
How much does a container hold?
Sizes vary from small sharps containers to larger boxes. The practical limit is the fill line and the weight limit for the carrier, whichever comes first.
What if I outgrow mail back?
Scheduled collection becomes cheaper per pound at a certain volume. Bio Med Solutions will say when you have reached that point rather than leaving you on the more expensive option.
Related services
Not sure how this applies to your site?
Send a profile, an old manifest, or photographs of the drums. A technical professional will tell you where you stand.
This page summarizes federal requirements and is not legal advice. State programs can be more stringent than the federal baseline. Verify against current federal and state regulations before acting. Last reviewed September 2026.