Regulated medical waste, also called red bag waste, biohazard waste, or infectious medical waste is one of the most expensive waste streams to manage.
Though it can make up less than 8 percent of a hospital’s total waste production, it can cost more than 40 percent of their waste management budgets to handle.
Over the last 20 years, we’ve learned a lot about the impacts of regulated medical waste and its disposal from the hospitals we work with.
By narrowing down the scope of regulated medical waste into several sub-categories based on levels of risk they pose, hospitals can more narrowly define regulated medical waste and eliminate some of what goes into the red bag.
Inova Fairfax Hospital saved nearly $200,000 in annual waste disposal fees through better segregation of waste and a concerted effort to educate and engage staff.
Diligent efforts to reduce regulated medical waste have saved our member hospitals hundreds of thousands of dollars while still maintaining the health and safety of employees by adhering to federal and state regulations.
Resources: Regulated medical waste
