What Exactly Happens To Your Medical Waste?

Did you ever ask yourself what happens to medical waste once the workers picked it up? Where does this waste go once it is collected? More importantly, what are the risks associated with improper disposal?

Biohazardous waste or medical waste is waste that contains potentially infectious materials. However hospitals and doctors’ offices usually have it. Anywhere that blood, fluids, tissues, or byproducts are present you can find hazardous waste. Tattoo salons, veterinary practices, assisted living facilities, labs, and even funeral shops are the places where you can find them.

In case you are at hospital, or other facility that deals with hazardous waste you can see the containers that collect medical waste. There you can see red bags, sharps containers, and biohazardous receptacles. This waste isn’t taken out with the regular trash at the end of the day. Biohazardous waste is dealt with according to specific laws and regulations to prevent the spread of infection and to protect the environment from contamination.

Incineration and autoclaving are the two primary methods to deal with biohazardous waste once people disposed them in properly-labeled medical waste packaging. The  next step depends on the waste itself when a licensed hauler retrieves the materials.

Medical Waste Incineration

Incineration is essentially the burning of medical waste in a controlled manner and in a dedicated incinerator. Incineration reduces what goes into landfills, the waste is completely sterilized, the volume is reduced, and is kept out of the physical environment.

Medical Waste Autoclaving

The process uses moist heat to sterilize various medical wastes from medical instruments, applicators, and other items that contain microorganisms. Autoclaving is a much different process. During the sterilizing process, steam is continuously entering the autoclave to thoroughly kill all dangerous microorganisms. Autoclaving still has limitations. It does not take care of hazardous materials like chemical waste and pharmaceutical waste.

Other methods of medical waste disposal include mechanical or chemical disinfection, microwave treatments, and irradiation.


Licensed medical waste haulers collect medical waste. As this waste disposal is closely monitored and regulated in most states. Before the specialists recycle or thrown the wastes away, it must be treated and rendered harmless. Our organization takes care of your disposal to mitigate risk, maintain compliance, and keep communities safe. You can trust Glycon for all you medical waste disposal in Glendale and all of SoCal areas. Contact us today!

Original article published as:
Title: What Exactly Happens To Your Medical Waste?
Author: Glycon LLC
Source:   https://www.glyconllc.com/blog/once-the-containers-are-away-what-exactly-happens-to-all-your-organizations-medical-waste/