All Points Medical Waste Blog

How much waste does the healthcare industry produce?

The numbers may surprise you

Every day people all over the world look for ways to reduce waste and lessen their carbon footprint with the ultimate goal to help the environment and save the earth. The healthcare industry is one that continues to strive for waste reduction, including the medical waste they generate. As a healthcare professional, you may not realize how much waste is produced by the many different facilities that provide care, take a look:

Medical waste produced by healthcare facilities: the numbers

Across the world, medical facilities perform treatments, administer medications, procedures, emergency care, pain management, and perform surgeries to millions of patients each year. And with each type of care there is medical waste generated. Here are the numbers from a recent report:

  • 16 billion injections are administered globally each year (this number continues to grow with the COVID vaccine now being administered)
  • The United States and other wealthier countries generate approximately 1 pound of medical waste per hospital bed every day
  • In the US alone, 923,203 staffed hospital beds produce over 5.9 million tons of waste every year
  • 15% of medical waste generated is hazardous material that can be infectious, toxic or radioactive
  • Improper disposal of medical waste in landfills leads to contamination of drinking water, surface water and ground water
  • Mismanaged medical waste effects include harm to wildlife population, depleted natural resources, toxic chemicals placed in trash and landfills and prolonged plastic degradation
  • The healthcare industry contributes to solid waste production, greenhouse gasses and climate change

Proper disposal is crucial

Although efforts are continually being made to reduce waste production, much of the medical waste generated by the healthcare industry is unavoidable. In order to protect the earth, humans and wildlife, proper disposal is key. Medical waste disposal providers can ensure you are remaining compliant with local, state and federal regulations and that you are doing your part to protect the environment, your staff, patients and wildlife.

All Points Medical Waste provides full service medical waste disposal to healthcare facilities throughout South Florida. We serve Okeechobee, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach and Broward Counties. Give us a call or fill out this form to learn how we can serve you.

Dawn Connelly

Dawn is the vice president of All Points Medical Waste. All Points Medical Waste is a family-owned and operated medical waste disposal and compliance company that has been serving the Treasure Coast, Palm Beaches, and surrounding areas since 1994.
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