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HomeHealth and Safety CodeDiv. 104Pt. 14Ch. 2§ 117700 Medical Waste Exclusions

§ 117700 Medical Waste Exclusions

Health and Safety Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 117700 Medical Waste Exclusions

Key Takeaways

  • •Not all gross stuff from hospitals or doctors is 'medical waste'—some things are safe to throw away normally.
  • •If it doesn’t have blood, super-contagious germs, or dangerous stuff like radiation, it’s probably not medical waste.
  • •Things like pee, poop, or sweat are usually fine to toss unless they have blood in them.
  • •Normal trash (like paper towels) or farm animal waste isn’t considered medical waste.

Example

A vet clinic throws away paper towels used to clean up after a checkup.

Since the paper towels don’t have blood or super-dangerous germs, they’re just regular trash—not medical waste.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 117700 Medical Waste Exclusions

Medical waste does not include any of the following: (a) Waste generated in food processing or biotechnology that does not contain an infectious agent, as defined in Section 117675, or an agent capable of causing an infection that is highly communicable, as defined in Section 117665. (b) Waste generated in biotechnology that does not contain human blood or blood products or animal blood or blood products suspected of being contaminated with infectious agents known to be communicable to humans or a highly communicable disease. (c) Urine, feces, saliva, sputum, nasal secretions, sweat, tears, or vomitus, unless it contains visible or recognizable fluid blood, as provided in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 117690. (d) Waste which is not biohazardous, such as paper towels, paper products, articles containing nonfluid blood, and other medical solid waste products commonly found in the facilities of medical waste generators. (e) Hazardous waste, radioactive waste, or household waste, including, but not limited to, home-generated sharps waste, as defined in Section 117671. (f) Waste generated from normal and legal veterinarian, agricultural, and animal livestock management practices on a farm or ranch unless otherwise specified in law. (Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 564, Sec. 12. (AB 333) Effective January 1, 2015.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

medical wasteinfectious agentbiohazardoushazardous wastehousehold waste

Related Statutes

  • § 101080 Hazardous Waste Health Emergency
  • § 101075 Hazardous Waste Definition
  • § 117640 Medical Waste Storage Rules
  • § 117645 Medical Waste Container Definition
  • § 117725 Medical Waste Treatment Facilities

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Health and Safety Code. Section 117700.
View Official Source