As the country ramps up with administering the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine, questions are beginning to arise about disposing of waste from vaccine administration. The following represent general recommendations for managing waste from administering the SAR-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine. In general, disposal of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine related wastes should follow the same processes for other vaccine related wastes. However, not all states are the same – if a state has more stringent requirements than described below, follow […]

The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) announced Dec. 2 that it has sent letters to the nation’s governors urging them to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on including waste and recycling industry personnel as a part of their states’ vaccine distribution plans, including specialty medical waste workers who provide collection and management services within healthcare settings. “The waste and recycling industry provides a critical service […]

Proper medical waste management is necessary for a medical facility. It aims for a sterile and safe environment for doctors and patients. Proper management also ensures that medical substances won’t pose a risk to our environment. Many third-party companies provide medical facilities with appropriate waste management, implementing specific protocols to ensure safe disposal of such substances. Abiding these protocols is crucial as it ensures that the facility maintains a healthy and safe working environment for […]

In the run up to World Ecology Day (November 1), Satyendra Johari, Founder & Chairman, Johari Digital Healthcare warns that the rise in biomedical waste due to the COVID pandemic has led to an immediate threat of unsafe disposal of healthcare waste that will pollute the environment as well as pose a risk of infectious diseases such as hepatitis, cholera, typhoid, and respiratory complications. Therefore the proper use of medical waste disinfectant equipment by hospitals […]

Emergency departments of hospitals generate significant amounts of environmentally harmful waste which could be reduced through basic changes to disposal policies and practices, while producing lower operating costs, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have found. Efforts to optimize the daily waste stream through improvements such as switching from disposable to reusable items in the ED, better sorting of infectious waste, and more effective recycling of items like glass and aluminum could have meaningful impact […]

Coronavirus has made medical waste more visible than ever, but the environmental footprint of healthcare goes much further – and reducing it could save lives. When surgeon Claire Teves* (not her real name) landed in Singapore from the Philippines for a six-month fellowship, she knew it would take some time to adjust. Teves had come from a hospital serving the needs of a poorer developing society, to work in a cutting-edge medical facility in a […]

From medical respirators to plastic takeout containers, medical professionals and city leaders are working to mitigate the waste created by COVID-19 in Santa Barbara County. At the Cottage hospitals, 3,400 N95 respirators have been sterilized onsite and are being stored for reuse if needed in the future, according to Maria Zate, manager of public relations at Cottage Health. “Medical waste is handled according to Centers for Disease Control guidelines. Most personal protective equipment [PPE] must […]

Challenges persist in managing waste for hospitals treating COVID-19 patients and aiming to limit the spread of the virus. Institutions must now complete more steps on-site to safely collect, prepare and dispose of regulated medical and hazardous waste and sharps, while simultaneously protecting workers and the public, according to agency, state and waste hauler guidelines. These recommendations could change further as COVID-19 cases continue in hot spots throughout the United States and personal protective equipment […]

For Milli Martinez of North Hollywood, CA, recycling has been a way of life. For years, she has taken her own reusable bags to the grocery store. At retail stores, she would also decline their bags and use her own. Then came the coronavirus pandemic. Many grocery stores switched back to single-use plastic bags and prohibited customers from bringing their own reusable bags. While annoyed at the waste, Martinez says she understands the motivation to […]

As countries scramble to procure personal protective equipment, another quickly accelerating problem sits on the back end: the disturbingly massive amount of medical waste of all types that must be disposed of. As has been widely reported, protocols regarding the usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) have evolved as cases have rapidly escalated around the world. For example, Britian’s guidance is that healthcare workers should replace their gowns and aprons after treating each patient and face masks after […]