How to Minimize Waste in a Medical Environment

Cutting down on waste in hospitals and clinics reduces costs and risks and improves the overall running. Reducing waste should be a priority in any medical facility, because this industry daily creates huge amounts of disposable waste. It’s important to simplify and hone the waste disposal process as a matter of environmental, patient and personnel safety. The first steps are to understand what types of waste are being created and how to deal with them properly. We’ve put together some points to help your organization minimize its waste production:

• Have clearly labelled bins to separate different types of waste. All personnel will then understand where to put the various waste components, streamlining the disposal process.
• Recycle wherever possible. Arrange for various recycling companies to collect the different items and find out if they provide containers.
• Medical waste isn’t only sharps and dressings. Healthcare facilities also generate household-type waste that can be cut back on too. For instance, sorting and recycling should be happening in the kitchen too.
• Waste occurs where too much stock is ordered, and items expire. Understand how many supplies you’re using compared to the amount being ordered.
• The provision of staff training in this area is important. Educate staff members about the new plans to minimize waste, discuss why they’re important and show staff how to use the recycling containers correctly.
• Ensure that your facility has a contract with an ethical, reliable medical waste disposal company.