3 Ways to Reduce Medical Waste
Why reduce medical waste? The answer is simple: it can help cut costs while keeping the environment safe.
How much medical waste does your facility produce in a week? A month? A year? A medical waste removal program is designed to mitigate risk and prevent contamination for staff and the communities they serve, but one of the goals of waste management should also be to reduce the amount of regulated medical waste generated.
Reduction in medical waste is not only beneficial for the environment, but it’s also good for the bottom line. According to a medical waste report from MarketsandMarkets, the …”global Medical Waste Management Market is expected to reach USD 13.3 Billion by 2020 from USD 10.3 Billion in 2015.”
The two major reasons for reducing medical waste are simple: it can help cut costs while keeping the environment safe. Here are three simple ways to reduce medical waste:
- Proper segregation and classification
Segregating medical waste and using properly marked containers is not only good practice, it’s economical and leads to less waste. Keep red bag waste separate from solid waste collection containers this way staff won’t blindly drop items in the wrong bin. Properly label all containers so regular trash goes into the trash, sharps go into sharps containers, and red bag waste goes into red bags. Keep signs posted so that staff know what waste to put in its proper container.
- Where applicable, use reusable equipment instead of single-use
Certain sharps can be disinfected and recycled. Always check on equipment use before purchasing. Know your federal and local laws on whether single-use is allowed in your area. MedXwaste can help you with compliance laws to remain compliant and to reduce medical waste.
- Develop a medical waste removal plan
Healthcare facilities should have a waste management policy and a waste management plan, including targets such as what to recycle and what to toss, reducing the number of accidents and incidents associated with waste management, and the amount of hazardous materials purchased. A plan can provide actionable data, revealing the financial and health benefits of waste reduction.
Healthcare facilities can benefit by taking a closer look at their waste stream and understanding how much is regular garbage and how much is hazardous waste. The key to reducing the volume without raising the risk is to train staff to properly classify and dispose of waste.
MedXWaste can help you develop a program for your medical waste removal procedures through our online OSHA training program. We also offer equipment, including bins, red bags, and containers so that your medical waste is properly stored, segregated, and compliant.
Better medical waste disposal policies lead to better medical waste management, and that means higher revenues and healthier communities.
Contact MedXwaste today.
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