What Happens to Medical Waste?

What Happens to Medical Waste?

‍

Medical waste, also referred to as biohazard waste, can contain potentially infectious agents and must go through a serious disposal process.

There are multiple steps in the medical waste disposal process to reduce the risk of harm to human health and the environment.

‍

Where does Medical Waste Go

‍

Medical waste ultimately goes to a medical waste treatment center. These specialized facilities treat the waste to kill any infectious agents. Depending on the treatment method used, the treated waste may go to a landfill or be converted to energy through a process called 'waste-to-energy.'

‍Generation and Storage of Biohazard Waste

‍

First, healthcare facilities or laboratories create waste. This happens during many medical or biological processes during the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment stage. 

In the United States alone, our healthcare system generates 5 billion pounds of waste annually.

There are many categories within medical waste each with their own color coding, and each type of waste has its own requirements for storage.

This ranges from how long it can be stored, which container the waste must go into, how it is handled, what labels are on the container and more.

No matter the waste stream, it should be kept in a designated storage area that is appropriately labeled.

‍

Collection of Medical Waste By a Transporter

‍

Second, a licensed medical waste disposal company will come and collect the waste. Typically, this is set up on a recurring basis to make sure that all wastes are collected at a frequency that is compliant with state regulations.

A medical waste disposal company will come to your facility, take your full medical waste containers, and replace them with new containers.

‍

‍

Transportation of the waste

‍

Next, your medical waste disposal company will transfer the waste to a transfer station or to a medical waste treatment center.

This is all tracked under what is called waste manifestation. The generators of medical waste are required to contain waste manifestation details to ensure waste is properly transported and disposed of.

‍

Waste is Treated and Sterilized

‍

Then, waste is sterilized using an approved medical waste treatment method. 

There are four main methods of treatment: microwaving, incineration, autoclaving, and chemical treatment. 

This process is essential to sterilize the waste and kill any potential pathogens within the waste. Since biohazards pose risks to human health and the environment, the waste must be properly disinfected.

Depending on the state and type of waste, there is a required treatment method. For example, most medical waste can be treated using an autoclave, but in California all non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste must be treated using incineration only.

‍

Disposed of Regularly

‍

Once the biohazard waste is treated and disinfected of any potential pathogens or other infectious agents, it can be disposed of like regular trash.

‍

The generator of the waste will receive destruction certificates for their records and the cycle continues the next time waste is generated, collected, transported, treated, and disposed of.

‍

Summary of the Medical Waste Journey

‍

Once waste is generated, it is typically picked up by a licensed medical waste disposal company and hauled away to be sterilized of any potential hazards before being disposed of as regular trash.

Once the infectious agents are killed with a medical waste treatment method, the waste is no longer a hazard to human health or the environment and is often landfilled or converted into usable energy.