Long-term care organizations and nursing homes generate a wide range of trash while caring for and treating their inhabitants. Proper waste management is critical in these contexts for maintaining public safety, protecting the environment, and ensuring regulatory compliance. The sections below provide information and guidelines for long-term care facilities and nursing homes on how to properly separate trash, including that created during COVID-19 treatment.
What kind of waste is produced at a long-term care facility or nursing home?
The majority of the garbage in these facilities is non-regulated waste, which means it is the same as that produced by other industries, such as hotels. Approximately 60 percent of this garbage is recyclable. The majority of the remaining garbage is classified as regulated medical waste (RMW) or hazardous waste, which includes a wide range of goods such as sharps, biohazardous materials, and medications. As part of the disposal process, employees must separate waste into distinct containers so that it may be treated and managed effectively based on the hazards.
How to separate regulated medical waste in long-term care facilities and nursing homes?
Any infected item that could puncture the skin should be discarded in an FDA-approved, labeled sharps container. Syringes, needles, scalpels, and glass vials are examples of items that may be appropriate. These containers, which are designed to prevent punctures, leaks, and overfilling, can lower the risk of needlesticks, which can lead to exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Organizations may choose to employ reusable containers as part of their sharps disposal activities. These containers are composed of hard plastic that can be recycled and reused, reducing the amount of receptacles that end up in landfills. A mail-back scheme may be useful for organizations that create a small amount of sharps waste. This includes disposable sharps containers that are delivered to the organization with simple instructions and a prepaid return-shipping box.
Personal Protective Equipment
Gowns, gloves, face masks, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) used during resident care should be disposed of as regular trash or RMW, depending on whether they are contaminated with blood or other bodily fluids that may contain pathogens harmful to humans and the environment. Organizations should establish defined guidelines for PPE medical waste segregation to ensure proper disposal of worn PPE. While there is no commonly accepted definition of medical waste segregation, federal and state agencies distinguish between wastes with the potential to cause injury or infection and have standards in place for their collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal. RMW that is not sharp should be stored in an RMW container lined with a red medical waste bag. When the bag is filled, personnel should hand tie and knot it to keep it secure. Overfilling red bags can make them too heavy, causing them to tear or crack. The waste carrier will not take wet or leaking containers.
Controlled Substance Waste
A controlled substance is a drug that is regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA classifies prohibited substances into groupings known as schedules based on the drug's potential for damage or abuse. Because of the tremendous risk to persons and communities, the DEA has particular disposal rules for controlled medications to prevent diversion, which occurs when someone steals pharmaceuticals for non-therapeutic use. Because opioids, such as oxycodone, are frequently used to manage residents' pain in long-term care facilities, drug diversion is a risk factor. Other risk indicators include long-term staffing shortages, high turnover rates, fewer administrative controls, and fewer resources for oversight.
Because of the hazards connected with these drugs, long-term care organizations and nursing homes should implement a thorough drug diversion prevention program that may include comprehensive staff training, among other strategies. From medical waste segregation and sharps disposal to regulated medical waste, Trihaz Solutions can work with your long-term care facility or nursing home to provide safe, compliant, and dependable waste management. 
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