What is the state of waste management in 2022?
Waste management practices have never been as crucial as in 2022. Over the two years since the outbreak of COVID-19, we continue to suffer the consequences of the surge of medical waste used to treat and prevent COVID-19. This is the reason why medical companies need to install efficient systems for medical waste management.
According to the World Health Organization, over 140 million test kits could produce 731,000 liters of chemical waste and 144,000 tons of waste from syringes, needles, and safety boxes. In addition, the demand for Personal Protection Equipment has increased significantly since 2020.
The increase is due to the number of COVID-19-infected patients being administered to hospitals all over the globe. Unfortunately, many of the world’s healthcare facilities lack proper waste handling and disposal services, resulting in improper disposal of sharps, PPE, and other infectious medical equipment.
Fortunately, the United States has improved its medical waste management practices and enforces many laws that regulate the qualification and proper disposal of various medical waste.
As a result, the number of active COVID-19 cases in the United States has significantly declined since February 2022. However, in United States, it is reported that there are 3 million active cases in the United States.
Since the beginning of COVID-19, there has been an increase in waste management policies in the United States in response to the increasing amount of medical waste.
According to a 2021 study, household waste has increased by 30% since 2020, mainly because of the pandemic. Therefore, it is essential to keep up to date with proper waste disposal policies to maintain compliance with regulations and prevent increased waste.
The Medpro Disposal Solution
MedPro Waste Disposal aims to provide affordable, compliant medical waste disposal and compliance management solutions.
We offer services to help our customers maintain compliance with waste disposal and management policies related to medical and infectious waste. However, we also know that it is essential for our customers to know how to handle household hazardous waste that cannot be easily disposed of, such as at-home test kits. Luckily, at-home tests can be thrown in the regular trash. However, that is not true for every state.
Delaware is one of the few states that classify test kids as infectious waste and should be placed in red biohazard bags. However, California states that to only treat the test as a biohazard waste if it came back positive.
Nearly all states consider COVID-19 tests from labs, or testing sites should be treated as biohazardous waste.
In general, it is best to research your state’s household hazardous waste policies to avoid being fined for not being compliant with the state’s disposal guidelines.
Fortunately, the amount of medical waste in the United States has decreased since the pandemic started, but that does not mean it is still a relevant problem.
Everyone needs to do their part in decreasing the amount of improperly disposed waste, which is why it is best to contact your local health department or COVID-related facilities to find out more about what is classified as infectious waste.
A good rule of thumb is to carefully follow any instructions for use and storage provided on product labels to prevent any potential accidents.
Learn more about how Medpro Disposal could help your practice stay compliant with waste disposal and management regulations. Call us today or book a 5-10 minutes appointment with a MedPro Disposal Customer Advocate.
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