If you work in the healthcare industry in any capacity, then you probably know all about medical or biomedical waste. This catchall term means any kind of waste that the healthcare niche produces. That includes things like sharps. Sharps mean needles, syringes, or any other kind of used healthcare item with a sharp point. 

Medical waste also includes used tissues, body parts removed during surgery, or unused or expired medications. Several other items fall into this category as well.

Medical waste requires careful, timely disposal. If you produce some of it in a private home, you can usually just double bag it and put it in the trash. If you feel like that is not sufficient, you can also sometimes drive it to a pharmacy and let them dispose of it properly.

If you work anywhere that produces medical waste, though, it’s probable that you will have a company that comes to take away this waste in a more official capacity. As someone running one of these facilities, you might not feel sure about what you want to see from a company with which you have a medical waste disposal agreement. 

We will talk about what you want to see from such a company right now.

Do They Have a Professional Website?

Let’s say that you’re running something like a clinic or a doctor’s office. You know that your facility produces medical waste virtually every day you’re open. You also know that you must deal with it in the proper way so that it doesn’t endanger anyone.

That means looking around to see what companies deal with medical waste with which you can set up a contract for its disposal. First, you’ll see whether you can establish a contract with any local companies or national ones. You don’t necessarily need one over the other.

Next, you will visit the website of each of the entities you found. Does their website seem professional? If it’s up-to-date, has copy that’s free of spelling errors and typos, and clearly states what the company does, that probably means you’ve found a reputable entity. 

Do They Have the Required Medical Waste Disposal Licenses?

As someone running a medical facility, you’ll probably know about the licenses and certifications required to dispose of medical waste. When you contact the entity that you might use to haul away your medical waste, you will need to ask them if they have those licenses.

You should not just take their word for it that they have them. You should get copies of those licenses and certifications that you can keep on file. 

Can They Come Every Day?

Next, you will need to ask the person you speak to whether their company can come every day to collect medical waste from your facility. If you think about what falls into the general category of medical waste, you will realize why you can’t have it sitting in your offices or laboratories for days at a time.

Medical waste can include things like body parts removed during surgery. You can’t have those on the premises for days on end. 

That’s why you need a medical waste disposal company that will come every day, if not multiple times per day. Some hospitals have contracts with these companies that come once in the morning, and once in the evening. 

Will They Provide You with Receptacles?

You also want to establish a contract with one of these companies that will provide suitable receptacles that you can use to store the medical waste until such time as they can come for it. Usually, they will provide bins that look like oversized lunch boxes. 

They will have biohazard markings on them so there’s no mistake about their intended purpose. They will come to collect the full ones and replace them with sterile, empty ones every day. 

Will They Charge You a Reasonable Rate?

Finally, you need to make sure that this company will charge you a rate that works for you. Presumably, you have a set amount of money that you can spend on this service. You probably can’t go beyond a certain number.

If you can find a medical waste disposal company that checks all these boxes, then you can hire them. You might use them on a trial basis. 

If they don’t work out, then you can always go with a competitor. You can’t afford to use a medical waste disposal company that is unreliable.