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Author: Maine Labpack

Safe Disposal of Sharp in Hospitals: How a Waste Management Company Can Help

safe disposal of sharps in hospitals

Safe disposal of sharps in hospitals prevents the risk for accidental and painful jabs or lacerations from used needles or blades that could lead to infection, tetanus and transmission of diseases. Safely disposing of sharps is not only responsible in terms of protecting human health but, as used sharps are considered biomedical waste, their proper disposal is mandated by law. Steps from the initial usage of a sharp to its ultimate disposal are regulated. Hospitals benefit by partnering with licensed waste management companies for their expertise and services in effectively managing the safe transfer and treatment of all their biomedical waste.

What is Classified as Biomedical Waste?

Biomedical waste is that waste generated in healthcare or research facilities during the diagnosis, treatment, study, and/or immunization of people or animals. Because it can pose a serious threat to public health, safety, and the environment, proper management and disposal of biomedical waste is subject to regulations. In Maine, medical waste is classified as biomedical waste and disposing of untreated biomedical waste is prohibited by law. The handling, management, disposal and treatment of biomedical waste is subject to state law regulated by the State’s Board of Environmental Protection under the Department of Environmental Protection. 

Hospitals must register as biomedical waste generators and must follow certain criteria for safely handling, packaging, labeling, and storing biomedical waste, but also make arrangements for its safe removal, transportation and treatment. All biomedical waste transporters and owners or operators of transfer facilities and treatment facilities must be licensed by the state. 

What Are Sharps Exactly?

As medical instruments or tools that can penetrate, puncture or cut human skin, sharps fall under the category of biomedical waste due to their contamination by bodily fluids and human blood after use. Sharps are used routinely in healthcare facilities to administer a vaccine, draw blood, or insert an IV.  Hypodermic needles and syringes may first come to mind as more common examples of what medical sharps are, but the list also includes scalpel blades, razor blades, lancets, IV catheters, autoinjectors, cannulas, Pasteur pipettes, medical wiring, capillary tubes, and glass from test tubes, slides and slide covers—all fall under the category of medical sharps. In other words, any medical device used that can easily penetrate the skin can also puncture waste bags and cardboard boxes and leave people susceptible to a hazard that can cause injury and lead to infection or transmit disease. 

As hospitals are one of the leading generators of sharps, for the safety of everyone, but especially for those who handle or are in the presence of biomedical waste—healthcare workers and janitorial staff—as well as patients—proper sharp disposal is essential. Sharp waste disposal in hospitals is organized around a set of rules and procedures to ensure they are managed safely. 

How Sharps Are Properly Disposed Of

Proper disposal of sharps begins with a proper receptacle. After use, sharps should be placed in special, designated containers clearly labeled as biohazardous to ensure they are properly handled. FDA (Federal Drug Administration) approved containers are recommended. Made of either hard plastic or heavy corrugated cardboard, the receptacles are designed to prevent leaks, punctures, and overfilling that sharp objects like needles and scalpels can cause. The containers should be positioned as close as possible to the point of use and located at a height for easy access by staff. Once a sharps container is full, hospitals should contact their medical waste management provider for the removal of the container, or its contents if the container is reusable, and all biomedical waste to be transported and disposed of properly at a treatment facility. 

Maine Labpack is a leading medical waste management provider serving hospitals and healthcare facilities statewide. Our experts are certified in the disposal regulations and requirements for biomedical waste. We work with hospitals to safely and legally remove and dispose of sharps used at their facilities. Maine Labpack offers hospitals a comprehensive, no-contract biomedical waste disposal service. Our experts arrive at your hospital, remove the pre-packaged sharps waste containers, and supply you with new ones for future pickups. Partnering with Maine Labpack ensures that hospitals are in compliance with the safe removal and disposal of biomedical waste like sharps. To learn more about all of our biomedical waste services or discuss how we can help you safely dispose of your sharps, please contact us today. 

The Importance of Scheduling Regular Hazardous Waste Audits

hazardous waste audits

If you are a hazardous waste generator, scheduling an in-house hazardous waste audit regularly will help you be prepared for inspections conducted by federal, state, or local authorities at any time. More importantly, by regularly scheduling audits, companies, facilities, and organizations can rest assured that they comply with regulations as mandated by law. 

Properly managing hazardous waste is not only an important safety issue for employees, the environment, and the public in general but generators will be held accountable by regulatory agencies for any violations. Facilities are required to have a written plan and schedule for inspection. They must also have monitoring requirements for containers to meet specific inspection requirements. Regular hazardous waste audits are beneficial to ensure compliance, maintain employee safety, and reduce the potential for fines.

What is a Hazardous Waste Audit?

A hazardous waste audit is an official review, inspection, and examination of a hazardous waste generator’s facilities, equipment, storage areas, documents, permits, records, and all other aspects related to the creation, management, storage, and disposal of a company’s hazardous waste. In an official capacity by an agency such as the EPA or state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), audits assess performance against certain criteria, with results used to assure that company operations are within expected norms. 

To be effective, hazardous waste audits are systematic and comprehensive. Compliance verification is an essential component of enforcement and is carried out through inspections by regulatory authorities. Officials or authorized representatives have authority under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to routinely monitor hazardous waste generator facilities and conduct inspections to determine compliance status. 

Inspections consist of on-site visits to facilities, or locations such as landfills, by an inspector or a team of inspectors to gather the necessary information to determine compliance. Inspections can be lengthy, sometimes weeks long. They can include pre-inspection activities before entering a facility or site and on-site compliance evaluation inspections (CEI) that will likely include a review of reports, documents, and permits, staff interviews, types of wastes generated and managed on-site, how they’re stored or disposed of, observing facility operations, and taking photographs and videos. Compliance sampling inspections may also be conducted for laboratory analysis, and a comprehensive groundwater monitoring evaluation (CME) may also be conducted to ensure the design and operation of a facility’s groundwater monitoring system is adequate for the type of hazardous waste being generated. 

The Primary Purpose of Scheduling a Hazardous Waste Audit

Hazardous waste audits serve as a valuable tool to determine and ensure a company or facility complies with federal, state, or local regulations. Primarily, the audit should provide a basis for minimizing liability. It can also help companies recognize noncompliance areas and take corrective measures before routine site inspections by the EPA, OSHA, or other regulatory agencies. A hazardous waste audit may also prevent companies from avoiding costly fines and penalties, as well as helping to develop cost-saving measures that provide a cleaner and safer workplace. 

How to Always Be Prepared for Hazardous Waste Audits

Remember that EPA or Maine’s DEP inspections are generally unscheduled and can happen without warning. There is no time to prepare unless you are prepared. Therefore, to avoid fines, it’s important to always be in regulatory compliance. You should have a thorough hazardous waste management plan covering every possible contingency. Employees should be properly trained to follow the plan and also in handling, waste labeling, and proper containers for storage. 

The costs and risks associated with poor management of hazardous waste streams are high. Knowing what to do is sometimes easier said than done. Maine Labpack offers comprehensive, confidential hazardous waste audits, inspections, and analyses for companies and facilities to ensure they are always prepared for an unexpected hazardous waste audit. Maine Labpack’s auditing program provides unbiased guidance and solutions in hazardous materials management, disaster preparedness, accident prevention, employee training, etc., to ensure your company is always compliant. Whether your facility is large or small, Maine Labpack will help ensure your company is always prepared and complies with all state and federal regulations.

What’s the Difference Between Medical Waste vs Biohazardous Waste?

biohazardous waste

What is the difference between medical waste and biohazardous waste? These terms are often used interchangeably and, in truth, are related types of waste generated at and by healthcare facilities. Examples of such facilities would include hospitals, your local doctor’s office, neighborhood health clinics, blood banks, and dental practices. Medical research facilities, laboratories, and even veterinary clinics and hospitals are on the list. All of these facilities generate medical and biohazardous types of wastes. 

Defining the Differences in Waste Types

However, there is a distinction between medical and biohazardous waste. Though it may sometimes be confusing, biohazardous waste is a type of medical waste, whereas medical waste is not necessarily biohazardous. To add to the confusion, the basic definition of medical waste is rather broad. Clinical waste, biomedical waste, regulated medical waste, infectious waste, radioactive waste, biohazardous waste, and healthcare waste in general are classifications of medical waste. In short, medical waste is any waste generated or created during any process at any type of healthcare facility.  

What distinguishes biohazardous waste from medical wastes is its infectious or potentially infectious properties. Biohazardous wastes are composed of infectious materials or agents. Viruses, cultures, bacteria, blood, bodily fluids, spores, petri dishes, and so forth are biohazardous medical wastes. 

Medical Waste in Health Care Facilities

Of vital importance to public health and one of the most crucial functions of any health care facility is that any medical waste generated on site is properly disposed of. The consequences of mishandling and improperly disposing of medical waste can cause, at the very least, an environmental hazard and, at most, a pandemic. 

Medical waste can be generated during the course of normal operations and routine tasks at any health care facility. Proper handling and disposal is required to protect doctors, nurses, patients, visitors, hospital personnel, staff, and service staff downstream from exposure to potentially hazardous and dangerous contaminants.

Biohazardous Waste in Health Care Facilities

Common examples of biohazardous medical wastes generated at health care facilities can include any blood or contaminants from any procedure. On the list are gloves, gauze, gowns, and masks stained or soaked with blood or other bodily fluids, animal or human tissue from procedures, cultures from infectious agents and diseases, discarded vaccines, and any wastes from the rooms of infectious patients. 

Of particular importance is used sharps. The various kinds of hypodermic needles, blades, scalpels, and slides that carry the risk of potential infection and the potential for needle stick injuries to CNAs and lab assistants, housekeeping staff, janitors, and garbage collectors in trucks or staff at recycling facilities. All of these people are at risk to exposure if loose sharps break open and poke through plastic bags. Used sharps can easily transmit serious diseases from hepatitis to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). 

Waste Regulations

Suffice it to say that though there are differences between medical waste and biohazardous waste, the management of both is a priority for all healthcare facilities. Proper handling, packaging, transportation, and disposal of such waste is regulated by various federal and state agencies and departments. For example, the US Department of Transportation specifies packaging and regulates the transportation of medical waste. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration administers standards for bloodborne pathogens and diseases to protect employee health and safety. 

On the state level, Maine’s Environmental Protection Agency requires the registration of biomedical waste generators and establishes requirements for packaging, labeling, handling, storage, transportation, and treatment of biomedical waste. Transporters and owners or operators of transfer facilities and treatment facilities must be licensed. In no uncertain terms, it is against the law in Maine to dispose of untreated biomedical waste. Failure to comply with state or federal regulations can result in heavy fines and imprisonment if violations are intentional.

Contact Maine Labpack for Medical and Biohazardous Waste Disposal Solutions

To comply with the law, healthcare facilities must properly handle and dispose of the medical or biohazardous wastes generated or created at their facilities. Maine Labpack is a licensed, reputable medical and biohazardous waste removal company offering comprehensive, no-contract medical waste disposal for healthcare facilities. To ensure compliance, our medical waste experts arrive at your hospital, clinic, office, lab or facility to remove your pre-packaged waste and supply you with containers for future pickups. 

To learn more about our no-contract biomedical waste services and solutions, please contact us today. 

Disposing of Grow Room Waste: A Pocket Guide

disposing of grow room waste

Disposing of grow room waste legally is one component of the burgeoning cannabis business that few growers likely consider when entering the cannabis market. However, as with any industry, by law, proper management and disposal of waste generated by a company is a shared responsibility. For those in the cannabis industry, it is no different. 

Any waste generated onsite by a cannabis business, especially disposing of grow room waste, is subject to regulatory oversight. Every state that has legalized cannabis has enacted rules, procedures, and guidelines for properly disposing of cannabis waste. This would include the waste generated at cannabis cultivation and production facilities, retail stores, dispensaries, testing facilities, etc. 

For some, there may be a misperception about how to manage cannabis waste generated at facilities properly. In large part because cannabis waste is rightly perceived and classified as organic material. Yet, that waste is still subject to regulation and, depending on how it is processed, whether or not it is classified as either hazardous or non-hazardous. 

With an increasing number of states legalizing cannabis every election cycle, the need to develop regulations and requirements for how to dispose of cannabis waste properly became readily apparent. As each plant’s usable trim and flowers account for approximately 10% to 15% of the weight harvested, the remaining weight, the chaff, is the plant’s waste. It’s not uncommon—if not routine—for processors to generate thousands of pounds of such waste per month. Though the rules for its disposal are regularly fine-tuned, they differ slightly from state to state. 

This is true for the State of Maine, where businesses must comply with managing cannabis waste. If you’re in the cannabis business, there is no reason not to know the procedures for legally managing and disposing of grow room waste. Failure to comply can result in heavy fines or some cases, loss of license to grow altogether. 

Non-Hazardous Cannabis Waste

Though cannabis plants, their trimmings, stalks, and other plant matter are not considered hazardous material, under Maine law, any waste product that contains more than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) must be transported for disposal by an authorized entity, such as a licensed waste management and disposal company, or personnel from a law enforcement agency like the DEA. Additionally, all plant waste must be “rendered unusable” before leaving a facility. For materials to be considered unusable they must be ground and mixed at a 50:50 ratio with another authorized organic waste material. This would include food wastes, animal manures, debris from yard waste, and the like. 

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)  encourages the composting of cannabis waste as long as it doesn’t contain any harmful solvents or chemical extraction agents like methane, butane or propane that could render it hazardous and unsuitable for agricultural use. Composting cannabis waste can occur on the farm where it was grown, other farms where cannabis is grown, or at designated DEP off-farm agricultural composting sites.

Other nonhazardous disposal options for cannabis waste are solid waste landfills or incinerators that have been licensed by the DEP to accept municipal solid waste. Cannabis waste can also be disposed of at aerobic digestion facilities which are licensed to receive organic materials from municipal solid waste streams.

Hazardous Cannabis Waste Considerations

Though it may be difficult to conceive that cannabis processing could produce hazardous waste, the fact remains that there are production processes that do render the waste hazardous. Some extraction methods of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) oils use solvents that often produce hazardous waste in solid or liquid form. Even secondary distillation methods used to extract cannabinoids from the plant can render the waste hazardous. 

In short, any cannabis waste that contains chemical extraction agents such as butane, methane, propane or other solvents are considered a hazardous waste that must be disposed of according to Maine’s DEP Hazardous Waste Management Rules.  

Disposing of grow room waste properly and legally is the responsibility of every cannabis farmer. Whether waste generated at a facility is hazardous or non-hazardous, waste of any kind must be disposed of following state laws and regulations. Maine Labpack offers comprehensive cannabis waste management services for cannabis waste generators and dispensary recycling services. To learn more about our hazardous disposal services, contact Maine Labpack today.

Maine Sharps Disposal Regulations: How Each State Differs

sharps disposal regulations by state

As a medical waste, sharps disposal regulations by state can vary considerably. Though federal agencies issue guidelines, protocols, and mandates for the safe disposal of sharps, every state has its disposal guidelines or requirements for safely handling, storing, and disposing of sharps. The laws governing how sharps are disposed of in Maine differ from those in Massachusetts, which are different from those in any other New England state. 

Perhaps the one commonality shared by federal and state regulations is that once a sharp has been used, it is recognized as a medical waste that needs to be safely disposed of. How that is accomplished may differ, but everyone agrees as much for the common good as by common sense that safely disposing of sharps helps protect the public and the workers that handle them from possible infectious disease transmission and unnecessary injury.

What Are Sharps?

As the name suggests, a sharp is a medical term that refers to any medical device with a sharp edge or point that can cut or puncture the skin of people or animals. This would include familiar devices such as needles and syringes for injecting or withdrawing fluids into or from the body. Other devices include lancets, auto-injectors, infusion sets, and connection needle sets. For administering a vaccine or blood test, treating allergies or diabetes, or delivering meds, sharps are widely used for various medical conditions and applications. 

Once a sharp has been used, it is considered medical waste. Often referred to, by definition, as ‘regulated medical waste,’ medical waste is healthcare waste contaminated by body fluids, blood, or other potentially infectious materials from a person or animal. As a medical device contaminated by body fluids or blood, sharps are regulated medical waste that must be disposed of properly. 

Sharps Disposal Regulations by State: Maine

Federal agencies such as the Department of Transportation (DOT) specify packaging and regulate the transportation of medical waste. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) administers Bloodborne Pathogen standards to protect employee health and safety. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has guidelines to treat or decontaminate medical wastes to reduce the microbial load on the waste to render it safe for further handling. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issues recommendations for sharps disposal containers for labs and health care facilities, but also for disposal of needles and other sharps used by individuals at home, on the job, or while traveling. That said, it remains under state jurisdiction to manage and regulate medical waste, generally through a state’s health and/or environmental agencies or departments. 

The healthcare industry in Maine uses millions of sharps annually for medical applications and to treat and control medical conditions. Tens of thousands of Mainers routinely use sharps at home to treat diabetes, arthritis, and allergies. It’s against the law in Maine to improperly dispose of sharps in the trash, flush them down the toilet, or stockpile them. Individuals who use home-generated sharps like lancets, syringes, and hypodermic needles to treat chronic conditions are responsible for their sharps disposal in FDA-cleared sharps containers, which are generally available through pharmacies, medical supply companies, health care providers, and online. 

The State of Maine recognizes medical waste’s public health and environmental hazards and the potential for transmitting pathogenic and infectious diseases such wastes can carry. Medical waste management in Maine is classified as biomedical waste, and its handling and disposal are subject to regulation by the Board of Environmental Protection. The law requires the registration of biomedical waste generators. It also establishes requirements for packaging, labeling, handling, storage, transportation, and treatment of biomedical waste and licensing all transporters and owners or operators of transfer facilities and treatment facilities. The disposal of untreated biomedical waste is prohibited by law. 

Contact Maine Labpack for Biomedical Waste Disposal

Maine Labpack recognizes that each state’s disposal regulations and requirements for biomedical waste differ. We offer comprehensive, no-contract biomedical waste disposal for various generators, such as hospitals, health clinics, research laboratories, physician offices, dental clinics, and veterinarian offices. Following state regulations, our experts on biomedical waste arrive at your facility or site, remove your pre-packaged waste, and supply you with containers for future pickups. In this regard, we ensure that all our customers comply.

To learn more about our no-contract biomedical waste services and how we can dispose of your sharps, please get in touch with us today. 

How to Dispose of Fluorescent Light Bulbs

how to dispose of fluorescent light bulbs

Fluorescent light bulbs and lamps are well-regarded for their energy efficiency and long service hours. However, it’s important to know how to dispose of fluorescent light bulbs and lamps because fluorescent lights contain heavy toxic metals that are regulated hazardous waste. That waste is principally mercury and mercury-laden vapor, but lead, cadmium, nickel, arsenic, chromium, and gadolinium can all be found in fluorescent lights. To comply with the law, states like Maine require institutions, companies, and consumers alike to recycle all mercury-added light bulbs properly.     

Why Proper Disposal is Important

Though hazards related to fluorescent light bulbs have been known for some time, they are so commonplace that many people overlook, do not consider, or even realize how potentially harmful they are. Fluorescent tubing and bulbs are filled with an inert gas comprising 15 mg of mercury, part of which is in vapor form. Though that vapor emits ultraviolet radiation (UV) when an electric current is applied to the electrodes, it’s also toxic. When fluorescent bulbs shatter, mercury vapor is released into the air. That in itself not only presents a health hazard. Mercury is a neurotoxin, but a source of environmental contamination if not appropriately cleaned and disposed of.

Nonetheless, public places everywhere—schools, stores, businesses, factories, plants, and various institutions—use fluorescent lights for their low energy consumption relative to electrical power supply. But it also means that millions of spent bulbs are discarded each year. That alone makes fluorescent lights the largest source of mercury in the waste stream and is why it is classified as a universal waste.

Universal wastes are hazardous wastes regulated by states and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These types of waste are generated by virtually all businesses, households, and public spaces, and proper disposal and recycling are required by law. Common universal wastes are batteries, thermostats and thermometers, televisions, computers, flat panel displays, various types of light bulbs and lamps like high-pressure sodium, metal halide, and ballasts containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and, of course, fluorescent lights and bulbs. 

Mercury-added light bulbs are not limited to types of fluorescent lighting such as compact fluorescent (CFL) or linear fluorescent (straight, circline, and u-tubes), but mercury and heavy metals are also found in neon lights, black lights, UV lights, and high-intensity discharge (HID) bulbs. HID lights and lighting is used extensively for security and illumination in outdoor warehouses and in industrial, retail, and various commercial settings and environments. If you are uncertain whether a light bulb contains mercury, look for the letters “Hg” (the elemental symbol for mercury) stamped within a small circle on the bulb. Then again, sometimes bulbs are labeled with the words “contains mercury.”

How to Dispose of Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Fortunately, fluorescent lights are recyclable. In Maine and other states, the lights, or any mercury-added lamps, cannot be disposed of in the trash and must be recycled as mandated. To comply with the law, businesses and institutions should create a plan for their proper removal. For the sake of their own health, all staff should be made aware of the potential hazards of fluorescent lighting if broken, and responsible staff should know, procedurally, how to dispose of fluorescent light bulbs in the building. Fluorescent lights are fragile and need to be handled carefully. Do not tape or band them together. They will break under stress. Used lamps and bulbs can be placed in the boxes in which they came. To ensure they are not shattered, store them in a safe, dry area and other universal wastes until it’s time for proper disposal.  

A single box of bulbs can be brought to designated recycling centers—located everywhere. However, to ensure compliance and safety, businesses and institutions that generate large amounts of universal waste are better served by working with an experienced company to properly dispose of EPA-sanctioned waste. 

Contact the Experts at Maine Labpack

Maine Labpack has over 20 years of experience in packaging and safely transporting such wastes for disposal, including universal wastes like fluorescent light bulbs. We offer free consultation and estimates for disposal. Our service area covers Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, and we maintain a healthy liaison with each state’s environmental agencies. For more information on how we can help you manage your disposal needs, contact our team at Maine Labpack. 

Dangerous Goods: Shipping Lab Samples

shipping lab samples

Are you having trouble shipping lab samples or dangerous goods from your workplace?

Chemical samples must often be shipped for analysis to labs across the country and sometimes the world. However, when considered hazardous under International Air Transport Association (IATA) guidance, these materials are often rejected by shipping companies because they are considered dangerous goods shipments.

Shipping Lab Samples: What to Know

Prior to offering a dangerous good to an air carrier, hazardous materials regulations require the shipper to classify, package, mark, and label the shipment. Only trained personnel can prepare and sign the required paperwork to forward the shipment to the carrier.

For example, many paper mills in Maine must ship samples of their black liquor to laboratories in Canada or the Pacific Northwest for analysis. According to IATA, black liquor, a by-product of the Kraft process that digests pulpwood, contains caustic, corrosive chemicals that must be properly identified. These mills must employ personnel or contractors to manage these shipments according to applicable regulations.

Declaring your hazardous materials is imperative to ensure you and your company comply. For those who knowingly do not comply with these regulations, a fine upwards of $500,000 can be imposed on an individual. Meanwhile, a company may be dealt fines greater than $75,000 per violation daily.

At Maine Labpack, we offer full-service shipping options that help get your samples across the globe. Our trained dangerous goods shippers properly package, label, and prepare documentation for your sample shipments to get them to the lab immediately. 

Interested in our dangerous goods services? Contact us at Maine Labpack today to learn more!

Guidelines for Storing Medical Waste

storing medical waste

Medical waste, often called biohazardous waste, biomedical waste, infectious waste, red bag waste, etc., is infectious or potentially infectious to humans or animals. This waste is generated in hospitals, health clinics, biotech research labs, or veterinarian offices. Generally medical waste is contaminated with blood, bodily fluids, or other potentially infectious materials and must be handled properly to ensure workers, patients, and the community are kept safe. Keep reading to learn about properly storing medical waste.

How to Package Medical Waste

Biohazardous waste must be properly packaged to ensure containment and prevent leaks during storage, transport, and other handling procedures prior to arriving at the disposal facility. Impervious bags that are strong enough to resist tearing, ripping or bursting during usage and handling must be used to store and transport medical waste. All contaminated materials that are considered “sharp” (needles, scalpels, etc.) must first be placed in a rigid container with a lid to prevent injury. Liquids in large volumes must also be placed in an unbreakable container, tightly seals, and sufficiently contains the materials for handling, storage and transport. 

How to Properly Store Medical Waste

Biomedical waste needs to be stored away from other types of waste in a clear, designated area. This is to ensure there is no confusion on the type of waste. In addition to storing away from other wastes, the medical waste storage area should be in a designated area that has limited foot traffic and prevents unauthorized access. The climate in the room should be managed in a way that prevents microbial growth and in some cases, like pathological waste, the medical waste needs to be stored below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. 

How to Properly Dispose of Biohazards

At Maine Labpack, we offer comprehensive, no-contract biomedical waste disposal for a variety of generators. We’re here to help you keep your staff safe, and your facility in compliance with regulations. Our biohazardous material experts arrive on site, remove your pre-packaged waste, and supply you with containers for future pickups. To learn more about our biomedical waste services, please get in touch with us.

Radioactive Waste Management

radioactive symbol | radioactive waste management

Radioactive material is unique in that it is not disposed of by one of the normal means. Those normal means entail fuel blending, incineration, recycling, and neutralization. While the Department of Transportation (DOT) classifies radioactive material as a Hazard Class 7 (thus, not as dangerous as a Hazard Class 1 Explosive), it must meet certain criteria for shipping across our nation’s roadways for ultimate disposal at federally monitored facilities. This is why radioactive waste management is essential for generators to understand.

The level of radioactivity is determined by isotope quantity. A certified Geiger Counter gives an indicator of this level.  Isotope levels determine the personal hazard level of various chemicals.  For instance, Cobalt 60 is used in minimizing the spread of cancer and Plutonium 238 acts as an electrical source of power for pacemakers and spacecraft equipment. There are also the much more sinister uses of these materials. The federal government regulates these types of chemicals and imposes restrictions on them.

Radioactive Waste Management & Disposal

These chemicals are often disposed of at a registered and permitted secure radioactive chemical landfill. The transport of such chemicals must be conducted in a permitted vehicle that is often inspected for radioactivity.

When we review your chemical inventory for packing, transport, and ultimate disposal, we assess the level at which the radioactive elements must be handled. We file the appropriate paperwork that enables this waste to be packed and taken away safely and by all federal requirements.

Discussing the proper options for a particular radioactive chemical also derives the cost. Of all the hazardous waste streams, this hazard class can be the most expensive disposal cost regardless of quantity, volume, or weight.

The decision to purchase any such element should also incorporate the estimated disposal cost that inevitably comes up at the end of the useable product life. To budget this cost early is critical. Costs vary due to quantity, volume, weight, location of pickup and carrier limitations.

Where Radioactive Items Reside

The market for radioactive disposal fluctuates. Some users consistently generate this waste (analytical labs, testing facilities, hospitals), and some users are very infrequent (schools, demolition companies, veterinary shops). Radioactive items are found in almost everyday items we see around us, such as the older “EXIT” signs in public facilities, smoke and fire detectors, x-ray machines, and even older watches containing radium. As time passes, equipment with these hazards is being outdated and surpassed by newer technology equipment less dangerous to health and the environment.

When there is a question regarding the radioactive issue at your facility, contact Maine Labpack, Inc. for more information on radioactive waste management.

Hazardous Waste Guide: Antifreeze Waste

antifreeze waste

Antifreeze, often called coolant, is a yellowish-green liquid lubricant for moving parts in a machine, such as a water pump. Coolant prevents the water in a radiator and engine from freezing in cold temperatures and boiling over in hot temperatures. Most antifreeze contains the compound ethylene glycol; ethylene glycol, when ingested, may cause heart and kidney failure. So, what do you do with antifreeze waste?

Is Waste Antifreeze Regulated?

While there are no federal regulations for managing and disposing of ethylene glycol-based antifreeze, that does not mean it is not hazardous. Antifreeze is not considered a “solid waste” according to the EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) and, therefore, is not regulated or considered a “hazardous waste.” However, some states have specific regulations for antifreeze disposal based solely on its toxicity. For example, Vermont regulates ethylene glycol in solutions exceeding 700 parts per million.

How Do You Dispose of Antifreeze?

Recycling of antifreeze is always the first recommendation for generators of waste. Antifreeze must be disposed of properly if that is not possible. According to the EPA, used antifreeze “may not be dumped with regular trash, poured into the sewer or poured onto the ground.” Instead, the material must be disposed of at a secure chemical landfill or a landfill designated for used antifreeze disposal.

Where Is There an Antifreeze Landfill?

In most cases, the general public cannot access a landfill where antifreeze is accepted. Instead, generators typically ship their used, unrecyclable antifreeze with a licensed hazardous waste disposal company. Hazardous waste haulers generally have access to disposal facilities that dispose of chemical solutions unsuitable for the standard residual waste.

Do You Have Used Antifreeze to Dispose of?

Maine Labpack, Inc. is a licensed hazardous waste disposal company with access to various disposal outlets, including those that accept used antifreeze. 

Have antifreeze to dispose of? Contact us today to learn more about disposal options.