This year is the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day. In 1970, about 10% of the total population of the United States participated in Earth Day activities. This year, organizers cited the World Health Organization’s (WHO) advice and recommendations and have discouraged large-in person events. April 22, 2020 will be the first Digital Earth Day and will include “virtual protests, social media campaigns, online teach-ins and more.”
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Medications in the Trash: A Health & Environmental Hazard
Worldwide, landfills serve as the most common final destination for a wide range of business and consumer wastes discarded into the regular trash, including unwanted or expired medications5. Unfortunately, landfills are also one of the primary sources of contamination in ground waters and surface waters4. Once rainwater or other leaky wastes mix with the solid waste buried at landfills, a “leachate” liquid is created. When medications are disposed in the trash, they eventually contribute to this leachate, creating complex chemical cocktails that can end up in drinking water, rivers, and oceans alike, with the potential to cause serious public health and environmental issues5,7.
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The Do’s and Don’ts of Medical Waste Packaging
This is an update of the article originally published on June 1, 2016. Regulations change frequently. That’s why Sharps Compliance monitors updates and communicates any changes to its customers.
Just when you thought that your waste was packaged properly, you learn that your state has laws that differ from federal regulations. Did you know that states have the authority to add additional rules to many federal regulations? It’s important to follow local, state, and federal requirements when packaging and labeling your waste. Here are a few simple steps that you can follow to lessen the potential environmental, safety, and financial risks associated with improper packaging of your medical waste.
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COVID-19 Coronavirus Is in the United States. Is Your Medical Office Ready?
Confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus strain are spreading worldwide, and people are anxious about the prospect of a pandemic. The World Health Organization updated its threat assessment to the highest level: “very high.” The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported the first case of possible “community transmission” in the US, and all medical facilities need to prepare for an influx of patients who are infected – or worry that they are.
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Non-Conforming Hazardous Waste Is a Serious Safety & Regulatory Issue
By definition, a hazardous waste is a waste that is dangerous or potentially harmful to our health or the environment. All wastes must go through a strict determination methodology to determine if the waste poses a threat to a person’s health and/or the environment – and would, therefore, be considered a hazardous waste by EPA regulations. Hazardous waste (HW) that is improperly classified – but managed off of a generator’s site to a Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) – would be considered “non-conforming waste.”
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