Disposal of Used Medical Plastics? Respiratory

[Sehille4774]

Hey All,

I was wondering if anyone can give me any info about how to dispose of used medical plastics in the home.

As usuall..when it comes to finding specific technical into...its proved difficult. I'll probablly e-mail my clinical manager too and see what she has to say.

I was able to find some general OSHA guidelines.

Of course sharps in a sharp container, things dripping with blood should go in a biohazard bag (noone that I take care of has those but havent needed one either)

Feces and urine contamination such as urinals and diapers can go in the trash.

I need to know about Respiratory supplies...used vent circuits, used suction containers, ect. One family wants us to recycle those..ha. But I am pretty sure that is a no-no....I would like to find the info somewhere official so I have something better to tell them then just my speculation, Lol.

I was wondering if they CAN go in the regular trash.

Maybe I could try calling the equipment company?

Thanks!

[caliotter3]

We have always just thrown these in the regular trash, but you can call the equipment company to see if they can tell you what really should be done with them. I dump and rinse out the suction canisters first, they can be nasty, especially when the patient has an infectious episode. I have always wondered about biohazard bags but no one has ever provided them. I thought one time that I could double bag stuff, but the family said they could not afford to be buying so many trash bags, so there you go.

[LadyinScrubs, ASN, RN]

My family uses the regular trah for disposing resp and GT equipment. I have seen my pt's mother use the used O2 tubing to tie up plants, trees, etc.

[Sehille4774]

Ha. Ok. I think they go in the trash...noone at the recycling center wants your used resp. supplies :) I have a parent insisting on this at the moment...

It varies state to state anyways but if I ever get an official answer I will post it!!

[Sehille4774]

Yup Cali. They have a hard enough time paying for the basic needs..some of them. I doubt I'll ever see someone pay for Bio-hazard waste removal. :) lol.

If anything...seems like alot of standards of care are decreasing for stuff like that because noone has the money to pay for anything in this country (insurance and ect.)

[ventmommy]

I am not sure if it is a state or city thing here but it is against the law to dispose of red bio-hazard bags in the trash so I doubt any family will ever have those.

I love to recycle but most medical plastics are not recyclable so aside from the fact that someone is probably not washing them first, it just makes more work at the sorting facility to weed them out and raises the cost of recycling.