MERI Partners with Bio-One To Provide Reusable Sharps Containers at Fort McCoy

13,000 Afghan refugees have arrived at Fort McCoy since August 2021 as part of Operation Allies Welcome. 99% of these evacuees were vaccinated to the minimum CDC requirements in just four months. For many, this public health feat brings medical waste concerns and management to the forefront. So, where do all these sharps go?

MERI’s Reusable Containers to Collect Sharps at Fort McCoy

Bio-One of Madison has been transporting the fast-amassing medical waste from Fort McCoy to MERI for proper disposal. The disposable sharps containers were filling up fast. Bio-One contacted MERI to receive more disposable containers. Instead, MERI stepped in with their reusable sharps containers. “We started using MERI’s reusable sharps containers to help keep unnecessary waste out of the landfill,” says Angela Welbes of Bio-One of Madison. “We’ve also received positive feedback from the staff supporting the Fort McCoy program about using the reusables. It’s a win-win for all.”

Unfortunately, common plastic disposable sharps containers wind up in landfills, and the plastic takes a hundred years to break down. The increased demand we’ve seen for these containers in the past year will significantly increase the amount of indestructible waste on our planet.

Reusable sharps containers allow you to meet disposal needs in a timely, cost-effective manner while minimizing environmental impact. In addition, their secure design makes them puncture and leak-proof for a safe disposal process.

MERI and Bio-One of Madison – A Successful Collaboration

The disposal effort at Fort McCoy is a shining example of collaboration and the success of reusable containers. So far, Bio-One of Madison has been using 380 of MERI’s reusable sharps containers at Fort McCoy. As a result, an estimated 1000 pounds of plastic has been saved from landfills so far during this program.