How to Properly Throw Away Medical Waste at Home

Medical waste can be hazardous if not disposed of properly. This is especially true in a household setting where most homeowners are just inclined to throw them into the trash bin.

However, according to Harvard researchers, medical waste that gets thrown into trash bins can end up making its way to water sources. This, in return, can impact wildlife and even cause the spread of diseases.

Luckily, you can prevent this by learning how to throw away your medical waste at home. Here are some tips you can follow:

1. Take Advantage of Residental Pickup Services

This might not be available to all communities, but if yours happen to have pickup services, then you’d want to use it to take care of your medical waste.

Just keep in mind that you’ll have to cover some fees since the collectors will also have to deal with sharp objects like syringes, scalpels, etc.

2. Contact Your Local Hazardous Waste Collector

Probably the best option at your disposal is to call the local hazardous waste collector to collect and get rid of your medical waste. These collection sites have their own methods of safely disposing of any medical waste to ensure that they won’t contaminate water sources and affect the local wildlife.

3. Use a Mail-Back Program

A mail-back program allows you to dispose of your medical waste, especially sharps, safely and efficiently. All you have to do is order a sharps container, place your medical waste inside it, and then place it in a prepaid shipping box.

The service provider will then collect it for you depending on your preferred schedule. This is by far the most convenient method to safely get rid of your medical waste at home.