Color Coding in Medical Waste Disposal

Segregating out different types of medical waste is critical to ensure the waste gets discarded, transported and ultimately destroyed properly. This is one of the main reasons medical facilities use licensed medical waste companies to provide them with the equipment they need to properly dispose of waste.

The simplest, but most important aspects of waste disposal are properly color coding the bins. Each color code means something different in terms of the disposal process, so following the codes is critical for not only compliance standards but also to keep safe waste disposal methods.

Different Waste Requires Different Disposal Methods

Every medical waste disposal company assumes the medical facility is properly discarding the waste. Syringes need to go in one bin, but other types of waste have to go in another. Medical professionals have to know the difference among the different color codes in order to prevent a larger health issue from occurring. Having a piece of equipment that should be incinerated end up in a landfill could cause major issues.

Medical Waste Bins Must Be Color Coded

Medical facilities rely on licensed medical waste companies to color code their disposal bins properly. The best companies will clearly mark and indicate which types of waste should go in certain bins, and also place them throughout the facility for convenient disposal. There’s a responsibility by both the medical waste collection company and the healthcare facility to work together to ensure medical waste is disposed of properly.

Medical Waste Disposal Companies Rely on Color Codes

As much as the medical facility relies on color coding for disposing of medical waste, the medical waste disposal company relies on them just the same. Once the waste leaves the facility, the disposal company must know how to destroy it.

Some color codes indicate hazardous chemicals that must be incinerated. Other color codes indicate the waste must be treated before ending up in a landfill. There is a duty by both medical facilities and medical waste disposal companies to use proper disposal methods, and the only way to achieve that is by utilizing color codes.

Medsharps understands the importance of color coding and strives to make waste disposal as easy as possible for medical facilities. We are one of the best licensed medical waste companies serving not only the San Antonio area but other cities throughout Texas as well. Be sure to contact us to see how we can help streamline your medical waste management and disposal through proper color coding.