Since medical waste can be highly infectious, one must know properly how to dispose of medical waste at home. It is essential to learn proper disposal steps to reduce the chance of spreading infectious disease, as well as other contagions. Below we will show you how to dispose of medical waste at home.
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How to Dispose of Medical Waste at Home
People need at-home care for various reasons, e.g controlling illnesses like diabetes. Is it alright to just throw these wastes out with the trash? Or do you need to call some expert waste treatment service? These common questions will be answered below.
● Cap Sharp Objects Before Throwing Them
A staggering number of needles and syringes are used every year. In fact, that figure is about 16 billion worldwide.
Unfortunately not all of these sharp objects get disposed of properly. When using needles or syringes at home, it is critical that you do not throw the used item in the trash, this can lead to the spread of infections. The EPA suggests that you take the used needles to a supervised collection site – like a syringe exchange program. There are a ton of them, some even offering mail-back programs. If you can’t find one close to you, consider investing in an at-home device that destroys needles.
● Dispose of Used Tissue
While this may sound like common sense, this piece of advice is a friendly reminder for when you get the flu and need to throw away your tissues.
It is crucial that you dispose of your used tissue. Not throwing away tissue that has been contaminated can lead to the spread of bacteria. For instance, when tissues are used for blood clean-up, not properly disposing them can lead to unpleasant ramifications. Henceforth, it is important not to leave used tissue lying around.
● How To Dispose Old Medicines
Refrain from using expired medicine and know how to properly dispose of them. To dispose of old medicines, the EPA recommends that you mix coffee grounds with the unwanted drug (this includes OTC drugs, unless the label indicates otherwise) and cover the mix in an airtight container. Once this is complete, the medicine can now be thrown away.
Most people don’t fully grasp the importance of proper medical waste disposal. With the possibility of spreading contagious, harmful bacteria; it is essential to know how to dispose of medical waste at home. If you have any further questions, BioHelpers can provide you with extra knowledge to ensure your you can properly complete your due diligence when disposing medical waste.
