Medical Waste - How is it handled?

[Flamefront]

I'm doing some due diligence on a medical waste incinerator business plan.

I have been told that disposing of medical waste costs as much as $350 per ton, which certainly would add up. I have also been told that most hospitals have incinerator permits to burn off most of their non-sharp waste, but this was from a retired physician. In today's EPA world, that may be much different.

Can someone give me a short comment on how much medical wasate there is to deal with, and how is it handled in today's world? Wastes such as tissue, sharps, devices, etc. are of interest.

Thanks to all who can offer a comment

 

[greenone]

Depends on the waste, and the state. There's waste from medical facilities, from biotech (both R&D and manufacturing), from mortuaries, etc.
Waste can be incinerated or sterilized with an autoclave on site. Sterilized waste can be disposed of as trash. Some sites choose to have it all hauled off. Some sites, if it is something like cell cultures, sterilize with bleach and pour down drain.
$350/ton is cheap. Stericycle does monthly pckups of small amounts (<20 gal)for $250/month.
Short enuf?

 

[Flamefront]

Great - thanks for the input. The biz we're evaluating is wants to be at the end of the chain with their new technology, receiving the waste that was not taken care of "upstream" by some of the localized methods.

They want to use a plasma arc furnace as the final process, and I need to confirm that there are X tons of medical waste looking for a place to be dumped, to justify their tipping fees of $350/ton. They do not want to get into the collection business, just the final processing, as a substitute to a landfill.

I appreciate your input

 

[greenone]

Most states require medical waste treatment facilities to be licensed-that's going to be expensive, with a lot of NIMBY going on. Also, you will have to market to licensed haulers, as most generators will not want to transport the waste themselves, if their area even allows them to do so.