Medical Waste Disposal
CWS does not accept or process any medical waste.
With a federal mandate from the EPA all households, businesses, hospitals and physician practices must adhere to detailed laws governing how to properly package and dispose of medical waste.
Types of waste that must be sent to a designated facility:
- Contaminated Gloves, Gauze, and Bandages
You can dispose of these items by placing them in a closable red Biohazard bag. Hospital-acquired infections are easily picked up in a hospital, nursing home or even in the office of a school nurse when gloves, gauze, and bandages are not properly disposed of. - Sharps
Loose sharps need to be enclosed in puncture-proof containers. If placed in sturdy, puncture-proof, small enclosed Sharps containers, sharps may be disposed of in red Biohazard bags. - Bodily Fluid & Blood Saturated Items
All saturated items and everything used for cleanup must be disposed of in a red Biohazard container or bag. - Chemotherapy Waste
Trace chemotherapy waste that does not appear to be contaminated (ex: tubing, needles, containers, gloves and gowns), or empty chemotherapy containers that did not hold P-listed chemotherapy agents, should be disposed of in Biohazard bags. - Medication
According to the FDA, almost all household medicines can be thrown in the household trash, but there are certain medications that are recommended to be disposed of immediately. This method is used by healthcare workers in hospice situations, but hospitals and pharmacies have special containers for these medications. They either contract with a medical waste company or participate in a mail-back program.
Learn more about how to properly dispose of medical waste such as Medpro.