Save 50% – 305-677-2343!

One of the biggest concerns in the United States and the world in general is the increasing amount of solid medical waste produced by hospitals, clinics and other health care facilities. This problem has grown in America to such proportions that medical waste management Miami requires not one but several government agencies to oversee this, provide guidelines, as well as impose different laws and regulations on the municipal, state and federal levels.

Medical Waste Management Agencies to Note

The most important of these agencies is the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA for short. They observe and regulate the disposal of solid medical waste in order to protect the public health and the environment. This agency performs several important functions and promotes the reduction of solid medical waste, its reuse and recycling, as well as imposes medical waste disposal legislations and aids in cleaning up areas contaminated by biomedical wastes.

In addition to EPA, OSHA, or Occupational Safety and Health Administration also regulates medical waste management Miami, especially as it pertains to the employee safety.

Miami Medical Waste Management Options

There are three main options for medical waste management Miami:

  • We can store it in a landfill
  • We can destroy it using an incinerator, or
  • We can reuse it for some different purpose.

Allow me to explain all three options individually.

Landfills

Landfills is only used for non-hazardous biomedical wastes that cannot be reused or recycled. It is a cost-effective and a reasonable solution. However, you should keep in mind that you can’t use just about any open space for a landfill. The state and federal laws imposed by the EPA insure that only certain areas can be used as landfills. These areas must be clearly lined to protect against toxins and chemicals getting in contract with the ground and drinking wasters, as well as keeping it away from the general population.

Incineration

Incineration is the most commonly used medical waste management method with over 80% of health care facilities using it to dispose of medical waste. Albeit a landfill might be a cheaper option when it comes to large volumes, incineration offers the benefit of reducing the volume of solid medical waste considerably and destroying many of the hazardous pathogens in the process. Some modern incinerators may also be used to turn medical waste into a renewable resource or fuel

Reuse or Recycling

The preferred option for medical waste today is to find a way to reuse it for the same purpose or to recycle it for another. Government agencies offer great benefits to those companies that recycle their wastes, while reusing not only reduces the amount of waste that the health care facility generates and its hazards, but is also a more cost-effective option in the short and long run.

Tips to Reduce Medical Waste

Although recycling medical wastes are a great way to reduce pollution, the best way to aid the environment is to limit the amount of medical waste that your health care facility generates by reducing the resources you use. One of the recommendations by the EPA is to buy what you need in bulks and use reusable medical instruments instead of those meant for one use only to help Miami Medical Waste Management.