PPE Waste Management 🏥

by Ian Guenn Tayao

Medical Waste, waste disposal, Waste Management 0

PPE Waste Management 🏥: Unfortunately, we are still seeing a surge of people being diagnosed with the infectious disease COVID-19. Just a few days ago, it was reported that 800,000 people already died with more than 23 million cases being active and recorded.

As a result, to keep up with the rising demand for hospital treatment, healthcare workers – medical frontliners, most importantly – have made it a point to work around in a highly infectious area with personal protection equipment (PPE) to protect themselves.

What is PPE? How do waste management companies or any entities similar to them dispose of these said PPE? Additionally, how much does it cost to dispose of this equipment? Read on to learn the answers.

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A Bit About Waster

Before we continue with the discussion on PPE waste management, let me share with you more information about Waster.

We here at Waster provide you with innovative solutions for you and your business’s waste management and recycling needs. Furthermore, we provide flexible, 30-day contracts instead of the typical lock-in contracts, which proves to be better.

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READ: Rockingham Waste Collection 🗑️

PPE And COVID-Infected Items Waste Management

We must first know what PPE is to truly understand this topic. Let me discuss the definition with you.

Personal protection equipment, or what we have already abbreviated to PPE, means any equipment used in protecting one’s self against highly infectious diseases or viruses like the COVID-19. Examples of PPE include surgical masks, respirators, face shields, aprons, gowns, gloves, and goggles. Furthermore, many of this hospital-grade PPE are single-use as a safety precaution – to avoid infecting one’s self or others, in other words.

How Do They Dispose Of PPE?

Akin to other types of medical and clinical waste, the ideal way of disposing of them is through burning or incineration. That is because through burning or incinerating it, as exposing the virus to extremely high temperatures will ensure its destruction.

Additionally, burning or incinerating infected PPE will also produce energy.

Is PPE And COVID-19 Waste Management The Same As Clinical Waste Management?

As we have stated above, there are some similarities in dealing with PPE waste, COVID-infected waste, and clinical or medical waste, namely burning waste. But do note that there is also a distinct difference between COVID-infected waste (PPE included) and clinical waste.

First of all, we need to know some information on COVID-infected items’ pickup. Let me discuss this with you, alongside the difference of it between clinical waste.

All requested bins and booked in as COVID-related waste are classified as “highly infectious”. The ones involved put a “highly infectious” sticker on the COVID bin for easier identification.

Furthermore, the waste dealers involved also need to wear FULL PPE (a.k.a fully covered) when completing the collections. Additionally, for further protection, the waste management company service team involved undergoes sterilisation (i.e., freeing themselves from harmful bacteria or microorganisms, COVID being an example).

Along with the people involved, the vehicles and bins associated with the collection and disposal are also made sure to be sprayed for the safety of all.

As a result, the main difference here is that stricter rules are implemented when it comes to dealing with something potent and dangerous like the COVID-19 virus. Waste collectors and the ones associated with the collection and disposal of COVID waste wear full PPE and sanitise frequently.

Everybody knows the importance of PPE waste management, so safety measures have been implemented in dealing with this.

Other PPE and COVID-Related Waste Management Information

Before taking the COVID bins for transportation to the disposal point and incineration, they are first audited to make sure it does not have any inappropriate rubbish. These include items such as cleaning agents/liquids, food items, and other containers, etc. Additionally, as stated above already, dealing with this requires wearing PPE.

If the said forbidden items enter the bins, this will damage the disposal site’s equipment. All measures should be taken to make sure that the staff, client, and the staff at the approved disposal point are 100 per cent safe and well accounted for.

How Much Should Businesses Spend In Getting A COVID Bin?

Now that almost everybody uses COVID-related items within their businesses, how much do you think they spend on trying to manage and dispose of those type of waste?

The answer: it depends. For the disposal of COVID-related items, the disposal cost for this waste stream is higher than the standard clinical & related waste disposal costs. Therefore, obviously, the rates are higher.

For example, in Waster, the pricing is based on request. In general, they are based on specific circumstances. You can call us for more information; we will provide our contact information at the bottom of the blog.

PPE Waste Management: Conclusion

In these trying times, one cannot be deemed “too safe”. What this simply means is that you should do everything you can to keep yourself safe from COVID – this certainly includes the waste management companies and the likes responsible for disposing of this.

Along with PPE waste management, other notable COVID-related products should be properly disposed of, too. There are also ways on how to dispose of them properly, slightly different from the disposal method of clinical waste.

Businesses, in particular, also need COVID-related items to protect them from the virus, such as face masks or face shields. As such, they will also need COVID bins to dispose of their waste. As of this writing, there is no fixed price for this type of bin. You have to talk with the waste management company for more information.