United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA530-F-93-027A
November 1993
Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5305)
Disposal Tips for
Home Health Care
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Printed on paper that contains at least 50 percent recycled fiber.
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Safer Practices
Millions of
households
produce
medical
waste
Every year, Americans use over one billion
sharp objects in their homes to administer
health care. These "sharps" include lancets,
needles, and syringes. If they are not
disposed of in puncture-resistant containers,
they can injure trash handlers; can increase
the risk of infection if they come in contact
with contaminated materials such as
bandages, dressings, and surgical gloves;
and can pollute the environment.
We need
your help
You play an important role in safe practices
associated with health care at home.
Through this brochure, we are asking your
help to safely dispose of sharps and other
contaminated medical waste, such as
bandages and soiled disposable sheets. We
urge all home health care patients to read
and follow the disposal tips contained in this
brochure and handout.
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Patient
handouts
Multiple copies of the handout are available
for distribution by health-care providers and
product suppliers. Please complete the
attached form, and return it to EPA at the
address indicated. For more information on
medical waste, call the RCRA Hotline,
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.,
Eastern time. The national, toll-free number
is 1-800-424-9346 or 1-800-553-7672 for
the hearing impaired.
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Detach here
ORDER FORM
Please send me copies of the health-care professional brochure
Disposal Tips for Home Health Care: Educating Patients
(EPA530-F-93-027A)
Please send me copies of the patient flyer
Disposal Tips for Home Health Care
(EPA530-F-93-027B)
Name
Address
CitV State
Zip
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA530-F-93-027B
November 1993
cvEFA
Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5305)
Disposal Tips for
Home Health Care
You can help prevent injury, illness, and pollution
by following some simple steps when you
dispose of the sharp objects and contaminated
materials you use in administering health care in
your home. You should place:
• Needles,
• Syringes,
• Lancets, and
• Other sharp objects
in a hard-plastic or metal container with a
screw-on or tightly secured lid.
Many containers found in the household will do,
or you may purchase containers specifically
designed for the disposal of medical waste
sharps. Before discarding a container, be sure to
reinforce the lid with heavy-duty tape. Do not
put sharp objects in any container you plan
to recycle or return to a store, and do not use
glass or clear plastic containers (see
additional information below). Finally, make sure
that you keep all containers with sharp objects
out of the reach of children and pets.
We also recommend that:
• Soiled bandages,
• Disposable sheets, and
• Medical gloves
be placed in securely fastened plastic bags
before you put them in the garbage can with
your other trash.
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Preventing Injury and Pollution
Containers
with sharps
are not
recyclable
EPA promotes all recycling activities, and
therefore encourages you to discard medical
waste sharps in sturdy, nonrecyclable
containers, when possible. If a recyclable
container is used to dispose of medical waste
sharps, make sure that you don't mix the
container with other materials to be recycled.
Since the sharps impair a container's
recyclability, a container holding your medical
waste sharps properly belongs with the regular
household trash. You may even want to label
the container, "NOT FOR RECYCLING."
These steps go a long way toward protecting
workers and others from possible injury.
(Although disposing of recyclable containers
removes them from the recycling stream, the
expected impact is minimal.)
Local
Programs
Your state or community environmental
programs may have other requirements or
suggestions for disposing of your medical
waste. You should contact them for any
information you may need.
For additional copies of these disposal tips
please call the RCRA Hotline Monday
through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST.
The national toll-free number is (800)
424-9346; for the hearing impaired, it is TDD
(800) 553-7672.
*U.S GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1995-0-620-643
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Return Address
RCRA Docket (5305)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20460
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Office of Solid Waste
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
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