Airport Medical Waste? Handling Medical Waste in the Least Likely Places.
Being in the medical waste removal industry, we tend to cover a lot of topics that deal with more common medical waste producers, such as hospitals, laboratories, and medical clinics. While those are the more common producers of medical waste, there are some obscure industries that, dare we say it, might fly right over your head.
While the bad pun may have been intentional, it’s actually a clue to the least common place you’d think of that would be associated with medical waste.
It’s the airport!
Frequent fliers may be aware that airports such as O’Hare International Airport and JFK International Airport are also home to busy medical clinics, but for those less traveled, it might be a bit of surprising trivia.
These facilities are available for travelers who may have fallen ill or in need of travel medicine, including vaccinations. JFK Advanced Medical P.C. offers international travelers pre-travel consultation and evaluation, contingency planning during travel, as well as post-travel follow-up and care. The clinic also administers immunizations based on the CDC’s recommendation for international travel.
Aside from in-house medical clinics, airports are havens for all kinds of trash, and believe it or not, some of it is considered regulated waste despite it seeming harmless.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the Orlando International Airport and Orlando-Sanford International Airport treats uneaten scraps of food as medical waste.
The reason?
This type of trash cannot be tossed into a dumpster with other garbage. This garbage must actually be treated because it falls under two jurisdictions: the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This is to prevent the spread of agricultural or animal disease into the U.S.
While the concern is valid, it becomes an additional set of regulations for airport officials.
Jet Air, a Fixed Base Operator (FBO) at Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB) in Green Bay, Wisconsin installed a trash-sterilization building, fitted with what is similar to a large hospital autoclave to handle all international trash.
So, you see that medical waste is not something that is exclusive to the medical industry itself; medical waste is a broad term that covers even what seems innocuous, and that includes food scraps from other countries that could pose a harm to domestic agriculture and wildlife.
MedXwaste services all industries, from healthcare to veterinary, and yes, even airport medical waste removal. Our industry experts work with you to create safe, responsible, and customized programs to collect and dispose of your medical waste.
Contact MedXwaste today!
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