Choices for Medical Waste Disposal

Believe it or not, all medical waste was not created equally. The Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988 defines medical waste as, "any solid waste that is generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of biologicals." However, to keep waste in an orderly fashion, it became classified into four different categories: infectious, hazardous, radioactive, and general.

Infectious waste, like its name implies, is waste that has the potential to cause infections. These items are what we generally think of when talking about medical waste. They include items such as bloody bandages, cultures, discarded surgical gloves, and swabs. Hazardous waste is a little more inclusive and sometimes tricky to differentiate from infectious. Hazardous waste can be liquids, solids, gases, or sludges that are harmful to your health. These can include pesticides, discarded syringes, or by-products of a manufacturing process. Hazardous waste isn't limited to the confines of medical waste.

Radioactive waste is, for obvious reasons, very dangerous. This is waste doesn't just come from nuclear power plants. It is also a form of medical waste. It can result from radioactive medical treatments, cancer therapies, and medical equipment that uses radioactive isotopes. Most of the waste produced by medical facilities is actually general waste. This waste isn't deadly or harmful at all. It includes paper, plastic, food, and any other "normal" garbage that people produce. Unfortunately, many don't separate their wastes and general waste is unnecessarily going through medical waste treatments.

No matter which type of waste your facility is producing, you can't just throw it out with the normal trash. Without proper medical waste disposal, both humans and the environment are at risk. There are facilities all over the country implementing different methods of medical waste removal. One of the most common methods is incineration. However, it is also the least safe for the environment. It is effective because waste doesn't need to be separated. It is simply placed on a belt and burned. Any resulting waste is safe to put in a landfill. The emissions, though, produce a vast amount of pollution.

Another form of treating medical waste is through mechanical and chemical disinfectants. Chlorine bleach has been used for years. The EPA believes this to be a good method for treating liquid waste. Another alternative to incineration is the use of microwaves. The medical waste is shredded, mixed with water, and then placed in large microwaves. They internally heat the waste and neutralize it. These medical waste services are much more environmentally friendly than incineration.

No medical waste is ever safe and that's why it's important to use medical waste management to properly discard it. Medical facilities need to be aware of how to handle the waste and how to dispose of it to ensure our safety.


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