Creating a Nursing Home Waste Management Plan

There are very specific and strict guidelines in place for nursing home waste management in Atlanta. Any medical facility that generates medical waste must develop a comprehensive waste management program that meets all of the medical waste disposal and recycling regulations that are in place. Here’s how you can make sure that your nursing home is meeting your state’s waste management requirements.

Investigate Your Recycling Options

Your employees and tenants should be given the opportunity to recycle their reusable materials whenever possible. Contact your local recycling center to find out what materials they’re capable of recycling. Set up recycling bins throughout the building in convenient, easy to reach locations. Make sure that employees and tenants understand all necessary recycling facts, like the location of recycling bins, when they’re picked up, and what materials can and can’t be recycled. Recycling centers may offer paper, scrap metal, electronics, plastic, film, universal waste, food waste, fryer oil, and recycling.
Reduce Your Waste Production

Encourage your employees and tenants to make an effort to reduce waste production. Suggest that they use reusable dishes and cutlery for their meals, rather than disposable ones. Organize tenant swap meets, at which tenants can bring unused or unneeded items to a central location to donate to or swap with other tenants. Reuse packaging materials, like boxes, envelopes, and bubble wrap. Discourage employees from unnecessarily printing out company emails, memos, or documents. Only purchase recyclable items, recycled items, and reusable items. Buy goods in bulk, and buy goods that utilize minimal packaging.

Conform With Medical Waste Disposal Regulations

While many items and materials can be reused and recycled, there are strict state and federal regulations concerning medical waste disposal. Used sharps, such as needles, lancets, and syringes, can never be reused. They can only be disposed of in designated sharps containers. Used medical gloves, bandages, tissues, cotton swabs, and other medical products should be secured in plastic bags before waste disposal or trash pickup. Ask your red bag waste disposal company if they offer reusable red bag medical waste disposal containers.