Biomedical-Waste-Management-MedProWasteDisposal.com_.pptx

Biomedical Waste
Management
Definition, Facts, and Best Practices
© 2017 All Rights Reserved 888-641-
6131 www.medprodisposal.com

Definition of Biomedical Waste
• “Medical waste that contains potentially infectious material.”
• 1988 Medical Waste Tracking Act defines it as, “waste
generated during medical research, testing, diagnosis,
immunization, or treatment of human beings or animals.”

Names for Biomedical Waste
• Biomedical Waste
• Bio Medical Waste
• Clinical Waste
• Medical Waste
• Biohazardous Waste
• Infectious Medical Waste
• Regulated Medical Waste
• Healthcare Waste

Types of Biomedical Waste
• Sharps (needles, scalpels, lancets, broken glass, etc.)
• Infectious Waste (swabs, lab cultures, excreta, etc.)
• Pathological (human fluids, body parts, animal carcasses)

Non-Biological Hazardous Waste
• Pharmaceuticals
• Chemicals (cleaning products, mercury from broken
thermometers)
• Genotoxic Waste (e.g. cytotoxic drugs for cancer treatment)

How Much Biohazardous Waste Per
Year?
• 5.9 million tons of medical waste per year
• 85% is non-hazardous
• Approx. 1 million tons biomedical waste per year
• 16 billion injections per year
• 2 million needles per day
• 800,000 needle sticks per year (per NIOSH)

Brief History of Biomedical Waste
• 1980’s – Highly publicized medical waste incidents
(“Hypodermics on the shore”)
• 1988 – Federal Medical Waste Tracking Act (Strict rules on
medical waste transportation)
• 1991 – FMWT Act expires. States adopt regulatory burden.
• Present Day – Advancements in biomedical waste processing,
including medical waste transfer by mail.

Regulated Biomedical Waste vs
Unregulated
• Regulated Medical Waste
• Biomedical Waste (Sharps, swaps, tissues, body fluids, parts)
• Other Hazardous Waste (Pharmaceuticals, radioactive, chemical)
• Unregulated Medical Waste
• Other waste generated by health care facilities, including disposable
tissues, paper waste, food waste, etc.
• This accounts for 85% of all health care waste, or about 5 million tons
per year.

Risk to Human Health
• Needle sticks (800,000 per year)
• Nurses, doctors, housekeepers, janitors, recycling employees, general
public
• Microorganisms
• Poisoning from bio toxins
• Contaminated drinking water and environment

On-Site vs Off-Site Treatment
• On-Site: Limited to large, well-funded facilities (high cost,
regulation)
• Off-Site: Cost effective. Third-party vendors own and maintain
equipment and assume regulatory burden.

Types of Off-Site Biomedical Waste
Management
• Truck Services – Biomedical waste is packaged in special
containers, then hauled away to a dedicated disposal facility.
• Mail-Back or Box Services – Biomedical waste is shipped via
USPS. Generally most cost-effective.

Five Biomedical Waste Management
Options
• Incineration – Once the method of choice. Still the only method
for human/animal tissues and body parts.
• Autoclaving – Steam treatment. Once treated, waste can be
disposed of normally in solid-waste landfills.
• Microwaving – High-powered microwave renders waste inert.
Can then be disposed of normally.
• Chemical – Works for some biomedical waste but mostly for
chemical waste.
• Biological – Uses enzymes. Still experimental.

Best Practices for Biomedical Waste
Management
• Know the Laws – EPA, DOT, OSHA, DEA.
• Classify Correctly – Don’t mix with non-hazardous waste.
• Separate by Type – Sharps, pathological, non-hazardous, chemical,
pharma.
• Use the Right Containers – Certified cardboard boxes, tubs, or even
locked up.
• Prepare for Shipment – Follow DOT regs. Label. Store in secure, dry
area.
• Correct Documentation – Correct documents accompany each
container.
• Color Code – Right waste in right color container.
• Hire the Right Partner – Right vendor for regs, hazards, type,

Color Coding of Medical Waste
• Red – Sharps (puncture-proof containers)
• Red – Biomedical waste (non-sharps in red biohazard
bags/containers)
• Yellow – Trace chemo waste
• Black – Hazardous pharmaceutical waste
• Blue – Non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste
• Radioactive Symbol – Radioactive wastes like fluorine-18

Who Creates Biomedical Waste?
• Physician Practices
• Retail Health Clinics
• Dental Offices
• Urgent Care Clinics
• Veterinary Practices
• Medical Research Labs
• Nursing Homes
• Home Health Care
• Home Infusion Situations
• Funeral Homes
• Hospitals
• Commercial Offices
• Commercial Buildings

Biomedical Waste Resources
• EPA Map – List of local and state regulating bodies and
programs.
• MedPro Waste Disposal – Low-cost, fully compliant pickup,
transportation, treatment, and disposal.
• WHO Manual – 308 pages on safe management of health care
waste.
• EPA safe sharps disposal document.
• Waste Savings Calculator.

Conclusion
• Biomedical waste is potentially infectious.
• AKA: medical waste, clinical waste, biohazardous, RMW
• Types: Sharps, infectious waste, pathological waste
• 1 million tons per year
• 800,000 needle sticks per year (per NIOSH)
• On-Site or Off-Site Treatment
• Incinerate, autoclave, microwave
• Know the laws, package, and color-code correctly

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