Special Waste

One key to the Authority's success in managing the County's waste in an environmentally responsible manner lies with you!  Because managing certain materials called "special wastes", in ways that will not harm disposal facilities or the environment, requires your help. Because if you understand what special wastes are, and how they should be handled, you are doing your part to help protect the integrated system, and in doing so, the environment.

IN-HOME MEDICAL WASTE

Medical wastes generated in the home may be infectious. When thrown in the trash, they pose a risk at curbside where bags are accessible before pickup. They also put at risk waste haulers and waste facility operators who must handle those materials; and potentially to the facilities themselves. Potentially hazardous items are ‘sharps' (needles, syringes and lancets), soiled bandages, disposable sheets, medical gloves, etc.

For the safe management of ‘sharps' the Authority is happy to provide residents with a complimentary Safe Clip, a device that clips a needle off and automatically and safely stores it in an attached receptacle. They will hold up to 1,000 needles and can be mailed to you or picked up in our main office. They should be returned (free of charge) to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility when ready for disposal.

For the other medical waste materials you might have, the Authority will provide homeowners (and other small quantity generators such as doctor's offices) with red medical buckets. The buckets are provided free of charge, and you may pick them up at the Authority's main office (1299 Harrisburg Pike). When they are ready for disposal simply return them to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility free of charge.

If you have a substantial quantity of medical waste to dispose of, the safest disposal option may be to hire one of several companies that collect such materials in Lancaster County. Call the Authority office for more information.

PROPER DISPOSAL OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

The Office of National Drug Control Policy has issued guidelines for the proper disposal of prescription drugs:

• Take unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs out of their original containers.
• Mix prescription drugs with an undesirable substance, like used coffee grounds or kitty litter, and put them in impermeable, nondescript containers, such as empty cans with secure lids or sealable bags, to further ensure the drugs are not used or accidentally ingested by children and pets.
• Throw the repackaged drugs in the trash.
• Do not flush prescription drugs down the toilet unless the label or information specifies to do so.

A printable fact sheet and a short video clip demonstrating one way to properly dispose of prescription drugs are available from the Office of National Drug Control Policy .