According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, medical waste is “all waste materials generated at health care facilities, such as hospitals, clinics, physician's offices, dental practices, blood banks, and veterinary hospitals/clinics, as well as medical research facilities and laboratories.”
The Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988 defines medical waste as "any solid waste that is generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of biologicals" including, but not limited to the following:
There are currently four (4) categories of medical wastes:
The greatest amount of concern is related to infectious, hazardous, and radioactive wastes which actually only represent only a small portion of all medical waste generated each year. Of the four categories of medical waste, infectious waste represents about 10-15 percent of that waste stream. And, the majority of medical waste is very similar to wastes that are generated in households and offices.
Unused medication should be taken back to your pharmacy in the original container. Your pharmacy has the necessary systems in place to ensure that the unused medications are managed safely. Make sure to call your pharmacy first to confirm their process for accepting unused medications.
Keep medical sharps, such as lancets and syringes, in a hard, sealed container. Make sure that this container is stored in a place where no children or animals can access it.
To dispose of the full container, contact your physician's office, your local hospital, or your health care center. These facilities may accept used medical sharps for safe disposal, or they will direct you to the appropriate handler.