United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA530-F-98-025a
December 1998
www.epa.gov/osw
Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5305W)
Disposal Tips for
Home Health Care
Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber.
-------
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 associat-
ed 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 fol-
low the disposal tips contained in this brochure and
handout. • • .
You should also urge patients to explore sharps col-
lections programs that may be available in their
community. In some municipalities, for example,
pharmacies and hospitals have' programs in place to
collect and manage used residential sharps.
-------
Multiple copies of the attached 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 the federal medical waste program,
call the Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA)
Hotline.at '800'424-9346 or TDD 800 553-7672. In the
Washington/ DC 'metropolitan area, the number is
703 4l2^9Bl0^r TDD 703 412-3323. The RCRA
Hotline operates.-vveekdays, 9 am, to 6 p.m, eastern
time. '•>-'. %;. -, ,
-------
Detach here
Please send me
copies of the health-care professional brochure
Disposal Tips for Home Health Care: Educating Patients
(EPA530-F-98-025a)
Please send me
copies of the patient flyer
Disposal Tips for Home Health Care
(EPA530-F-98-025b)
Name
Address
City
State
.Zip
-------
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA530-F-98-025b
December 1998
www.epa.gov/osw
Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5305W)
Disposal Tips for
Home Health Care
can hejp 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
• 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 infor-
mation below). Finally, make sure that you keep all con-
tainers with sharp objects out of the reach of children
and pets.
We also recommend that
• Soiled bandages
• Disposable sheets
• Medical gloves
be placed in securely fastened plastic
bags before you put them in the
garbage can with your other trash.
-------
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 con-
tainer 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." In
addition, make sure your sharps container is made of
nonbreakable material and has .a lid that can be
securely closed. 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 dis-
posing 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 at 800 424-9346 or TDD 800 553-
7672. In the Washington, DC metropolitan area, the
number is 703 412-9810 or TDD 703 412-3323. The
RCRA Hotline operates weekdays, 9 am to 6 p.m.,
eastern time.
-------
Return Address
RCRA Docket (5305W)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
-------
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW (5305W)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
------- |