What Sharps Compliance does

Sharps Medical Waste Services (Sharps MWS, d/b/a Sharps Compliance) is a Houston-based, privately-held provider of regulated medical and hazardous waste management services founded in 1992. The company collects, transports, and disposes of sharps, regulated medical waste (RMW), pharmaceutical waste, pathological and chemotherapeutic waste, RCRA-listed hazardous waste, DEA-controlled substances, universal waste, and municipal solid waste. It serves three primary verticals: acute healthcare providers (hospitals and health systems, physician practices, long-term care, urgent care, labs, home healthcare, GPOs/IDNs/RPCs/ACOs), non-acute healthcare (dental, pharmacy, veterinary, ambulatory surgery, dialysis/oncology, medspas, pharmaceutical manufacturers), and non-healthcare facilities (government, military, education, airports/seaports, death care, retail, and residential customers).

Sharps MWS delivers services through a dual-channel operating model: scheduled route-based collection in metropolitan areas for high-volume generators, and a mailback program powered by USPS and UPS partnerships for smaller facilities, rural locations, and end users. The technology layer is modest but functional — SharpsTracer for container and asset tracking, ComplianceTrac for regulatory documentation and audit support, an e-commerce supply store at store.sharpsinc.com, and an online OSHA compliance and training system. Specialty add-ons include MedSafe pharmacy drug-collection kiosks, TakeAway medication recovery envelopes, Rx-Destroyer on-site pharmaceutical destruction, document shredding, and a Sustainable Device Reclamation program. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; the company claims an average 25% cost savings versus prior providers for customers. Customer references include twelve named U.S. health systems such as Children's National, MedStar, Geisinger, Sentara, Penn State Health, and Ochsner.

Revenue is generated from recurring route-based collection subscriptions, one-time and subscription mailback kit sales, hardware/supply e-commerce, compliance training services, and document shredding. The company is led by Chairman and CEO/Founder Burt Kunik, with David Sanborn appointed as Chief Operating Officer and Mark Frick as Vice President of Environmental, Health & Safety in February 2026. The firm employs 51–100 people, operates nationwide in the United States, and holds a 5.0/5.0 Google customer rating. It is not currently listed on a public exchange despite a prior Nasdaq:SMED listing per the firmographic record.

Name

Sharps Compliance

Legal name

Sharps Medical Waste Services

Website

https://sharpsinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sharps Medical Waste Services is a Houston-based, privately-held provider of regulated medical, pharmaceutical, and hazardous waste collection and disposal services, serving U.S. hospitals, non-acute healthcare facilities, and non-healthcare organizations via route-based pickup and a nationwide mailback program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Waste Management Services

NAICS

Waste Treatment and Disposal (5622)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Sharps Management (Containers, Collection, Treatment) (BPALAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medical & Biohazard Waste Disposal (RMW/Sharps) (IMAIAFAJ), Medical Waste Management & Biohazard Disposal Systems (Regulated Waste, Liners, Containers) (HLAHANAI), Onsite Medical Waste Management Systems (Equipment, Service, Compliance) (BPALAGAJ), Medication Disposal, Returns & Safety (Sharps/Take-Back) (HSABALAN)

Keywords

• Medical waste disposal
• Sharps mail-back systems
• Pharmaceutical take-back
• Hazardous waste management
• Healthcare compliance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Route-Based Medical Waste Collection Services: Recurring pickup and disposal services for regulated medical waste, sharps, pharmaceutical waste, pathological waste, and hazardous materials. Services are delivered on scheduled routes to healthcare facilities and commercial generators, providing predictable recurring revenue.
2. Mailback Solutions: Pre-paid mail-back programs for medical waste and medication disposal, offering flexible options for smaller generators and rural facilities. One-time and subscription-based options available.
3. Medical Waste Supply Store: E-commerce sales of sharps containers, IV poles, spill kits, and related medical waste management supplies. Products sold directly through online store.
4. Compliance and Training Services: OSHA compliance training and safety management services, including online training systems and documentation support.
5. Document Shredding Services: Secure document destruction services for confidential materials, providing cost-effective shredding solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sharps Compliance is a healthcare waste management company that provides mail-back and route-based collection systems for the proper disposal of medical sharps, pharmaceutical waste, and regulated healthcare byproducts. The company serves small- to mid-quantity waste generators—including hospitals, retail pharmacies, clinics, long-term care facilities, government agencies, manufacturers, and individual home users—through direct sales, online ordering, and a RecyclePak/MedSafe online portal that combines shipping containers, prepaid return postage, tracking, and destruction documentation.

Product overview

Sharps Medical Waste Services (Sharps MWS) is a fully integrated medical waste disposal provider offering comprehensive waste management solutions across multiple waste streams. The portfolio consists of eight core disposal services (Sharps Management, Regulated Medical Waste, Pharmaceutical Waste, Pathological & Chemo Waste, Hazardous/RCRA Waste, Controlled Substances, Universal Waste, and Municipal Solid Waste), supplemented by specialty solutions including Mailback Solutions, MedSafe Kiosks, Document Shredding, and Compliance & Training. Supporting tools include SharpsTracer and ComplianceTrac for tracking and compliance management. The company also operates an e-commerce store (store.sharpsinc.com) selling related supplies such as Sharps Containers, Pitch-It IV Poles, and Rx-Destroyer. Services are delivered via both full-scale route collection and flexible mailback programs, serving healthcare providers, non-acute healthcare facilities, and non-healthcare organizations nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SharpsTracer: Customer support tool for tracking and managing waste disposal services.
• ComplianceTrac
• MedSafe
• TakeAway
• Pitch-It IV Poles
• Rx-Destroyer
• SharpSafety

Products and services

• Sharps Mail-Back Disposal System Prepaid mail-back containers designed for the safe collection, transportation, and destruction of used medical sharps (needles, lancets, syringes) generated by small-quantity healthcare facilities, home-care patients, and individuals.
• TakeAway Recovery System (Pharmaceutical Take-Back) Mail-back system and inner liner products used by retail pharmacies, hospitals, long-term care facilities, law enforcement, and consumers to dispose of non-controlled and controlled (DEA-registered) unused or expired medications.
• MedSafe and RecyclePak Online Compliance Solutions Online ordering and compliance portal that allows customers to purchase mail-back systems, schedule pickups, and obtain tracking and certificates of destruction for regulated medical and pharmaceutical waste streams.
• Route-Based Medical Waste Pickup Service Scheduled direct-pickup service for larger medical waste generators (hospitals, large clinics, government facilities) requiring regular collection of regulated medical waste, sharps, and related materials.
• RCRA Empty Container Management Mail-back solutions for the proper management of RCRA empty containers (formerly Characteristic Hazardous Waste) and other regulated healthcare byproducts under EPA hazardous-waste rules.
• ComplianceTrac and Tracking Services Compliance documentation, manifests, and tracking services that provide customers with verifiable chain-of-custody and proof of proper destruction for medical, sharps, and pharmaceutical waste.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% average savings compared to previous waste management providers

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• USPS (United States Postal Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSPS partnership enables mail-back disposal solutions for medical waste, sharps, and medications. Customers can schedule USPS pickup through the company's website for convenient mailback kit returns.
• UPS (United Parcel Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPS partnership provides alternative shipping options for mail-back waste disposal solutions. Dedicated UPS pickup scheduling portal available for customers at upspickup.sharpsinc.com.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BioServ: Medical, sharps, and pharmaceutical waste disposal company serving healthcare facilities in the Northeast US with route-based and mailback programs. Comparable operating model and customer set.
• Curtis Bay Medical Waste Services: Medical waste management provider offering RMW, sharps, and pharmaceutical waste disposal with a route and mailback hybrid model serving hospitals and smaller generators.
• Stericycle: Largest US regulated medical waste disposal company, offering sharps, RMW, pharmaceutical, and document destruction services to hospitals, health systems, and small generators via route and mailback — directly overlapping with Sharps MWS's core offerings and customer base.
• Daniels Health: Specialist in sharps and regulated medical waste with reusable container systems and compliance tracking, serving US hospitals and clinics. Competes head-to-head in sharps management and reusable container innovation.
• Red Bag Solutions: Medical and pharmaceutical waste hauler serving physician offices, dental, veterinary, and small healthcare facilities. Direct overlap with Sharps MWS's non-acute healthcare segment and mailback offerings.
• MedPro Disposal: US medical waste disposal provider targeting small and mid-market healthcare generators with mailback and route services. Closely comparable to Sharps MWS in the mailback/SMB segment and pricing transparency positioning.

Emerging players

• Heritage Environmental Services: Hazardous and pharmaceutical waste management company offering RCRA-compliant disposal and DEA-compliant controlled substance take-back. Comparable in pharmaceutical and hazardous waste, complementary to Sharps MWS's regulated waste services.
• SharpsAssure / RX Destroyer (industry segment): Pharmaceutical and controlled substance destruction product vendors serving pharmacies and clinics. Adjacent to Sharps MWS's MedSafe, TakeAway, and Rx-Destroyer offerings in the DEA-compliant take-back category.

Broad incumbents

• Clean Harbors: Large environmental services company offering hazardous waste disposal, RCRA waste, and industrial waste services. Overlaps with Sharps MWS's hazardous/RCRA waste stream and pharmaceutical waste handling but operates at vastly broader scale.
• Waste Management Inc. Largest US waste services provider with growing medical and pharmaceutical waste offerings (Stericycle-style services via WM Healthcare Solutions). A broad incumbent that competes for healthcare contracts at the national level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sharpsinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/SharpsCompliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sharps-compliance-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sharps Compliance