A sharps mail back program may be what you need if you are looking for an easier and less expensive way to discard a small amount of sharps. Using a medical waste return service (MWRS) for your sharps can cut your costs nearly in half. Plus, it lets you dispose of sharps without needing to call a service.
The MWRS kit is ideal for clinics and offices who generate small amounts of sharps waste. Additionally, it might be answer for homes who may use needles for diabetic injections or other medications. If you fall into either of these categories, the MWRS kit is both time and cost efficient.
How the System Works
Disposing of sharps requires you to adhere to strict guidelines. You can’t simply toss your sharps into an empty detergent container or milk jug. Why? Because the needles will poke through and possibly contaminate yourself or whoever else handles the waste.
The law requires you to use a rigid, impenetrable container for storing your sharps. While many facilities use large storage containers that require a medical disposal facility to pick them up, an MWRS kit is quicker, easier and less expensive if you produce a small amount of sharps.
MWRS kits are certified sharps and infectious medical waste collection containers that meet DOT and USPS shipping requirements. You can purchase various kit sizes, ranging from 1.5 quart containers up to two gallons.
Once the container is full, you can ship it to a waste disposal company, who will alert you when they receive it. Notification is important so you can properly manifest the destruction of your waste from beginning to end.
Regardless of size, each MWRS kit comes with the following:
- Collection container
- Packing boxes
- Prepaid return shipping label
- Simple-to-follow instruction sheet
- Manifest to document proper treatment and disposal
How it Saves You Money
Besides being convenient, MWRS kits are also less expensive than using a conventional medical waste disposal service.
The kits, including shipping costs, generally cost about $55. If MERI, for example, were to pick up the same amount of waste at your facility, we would charge about $95. That means you are nearly cutting your costs in half.
Sometimes, a city, county or pharmacy will implement a return sharps program, where you can drop off your container rather than mail it to a facility. This can save you even more money since you don’t have to pay shipping fees.
Typical drop-off sites vary, but often include clinics, hospitals or pharmacies. Here are a number of designated pharmacies where you can drop your sharps off in Madison.
The most cost-efficient way to use this program is to purchase larger sharps collection containers, resulting in less trips for disposal. As long as your sharps containers are stored in a secure location and you are a small generator, you can store them indefinitely.
If you produce small amounts of sharps, using the MWRS kit can nearly cut your sharps disposal costs in half. It’s a smarter, more efficient way to safely and compliantly dispose of your sharps.
