What Should I Do With My Residential Medical Waste?
Disposing of medical waste can be confusing. From needles to prescription medications and everything in between, it is very important that you throw every type of medication away properly. The YCSWA is here to make all trash disposal easy. Below is a quick and easy read to help you discard your no longer needed medical waste.
A Quick and Easy Medical Waste Discard Guide
Most questions posed to us about medical waste disposal are in regards to over-the-counter and prescription medications. Over-the-counter medications can be disposed of by pouring an undesirable substance into the medication container, such as kitty litter or coffee grounds, and placing it in your regular garbage. Prescription medications should be taken to one of the many local police departments that have a Medication Return Box in the lobby. If this method of disposal is not doable for you, take off all medication stickers and markings, add an undesirable substance to the container, and place it in your regular garbage. Lastly, you can make an appointment to deliver your unused prescription (no over-the-counter) medications to the York County Resource Recovery Center at no charge.
As you can imagine medical needles and lancets, commonly referred to as “sharps”, have special disposal instructions. It is best to use a household medical waste disposal system to discard any sharps. If you are uncertain how or where to do this, simply do an internet search for “household medical waste disposal York PA”. You will find businesses that offer this service. If you are unable to use a household medical waste disposal system, you can place them in a rigid, lidded container (such as an empty laundry detergent bottle), secure the lid tightly, tape it shut, label the container “SHARPS-DO NOT RECYCLE” and place it in your regular trash. You should never place sharps in your recycling bin or loosely in your regular trash as they pose serious health hazards to waste haulers and facility workers.
Radioactive medical waste is another category that involves very specific and special disposal instruction. If you are undergoing or recently completed a medical procedure involving the use of radioactivity and you need to discard personal care items that may contain bodily fluids, please follow the directions provided to you by your medical practitioner.
For More Information
We are thankful the residents of York County are mindful of disposing of their trash properly. Visit our website for additional medical waste information.