Georgia

Georgia Medical Waste Disposal

Sharps Medical Waste Services serves medical waste generators in Georgia's metro Atlanta area. We provide affordable, regulatory-compliant biomedical waste handling and disposal. Depending on their individual needs, customers can arrange for on-site pickup or use our USPS-authorized mailback program. All our services include online shipment tracking, proof of receipt, and treatment to help you comply with your cradle-to-grave responsibilities. There are never any hidden fees or unexpected charges.

Our Georgia medical waste disposal customers include a variety of very small quantity generators (VSQGs) to large quantity generators (LQGs), including hospitals, long-term care facilities (LTCF), dentists, veterinarians, physician offices, pathology labs, and home health agencies.

We offer services to the entire state of Georgia, including the Atlanta, GA metro area:

Affordable, Custom Biomedical Waste Disposal Solutions in Georgia

At Sharps Medical Waste Services, we know that "one-size-fits-all" solutions never fit "everyone."

Customer needs vary over time and depend on the volume of biomedical waste they generate. For example, a large hospital, a solo veterinary practice, and a blood bank obviously generate different types of medical waste and different quantities.

Our staff works with you to determine the best solution for your organization. For example:

• TakeAway Recovery Systems is an all-inclusive system, comprised of a sharps container, a DOT-approved, prepaid shipback box, and the necessary items for proper packaging, TakeAway Recovery Systems are designed for the safe collection, packaging, and transport of sharps and red bag medical waste.
• TakeAway Recovery System for Trace Chemo Drugs: These systems support the regulatory compliant collection, transport, tracking, and treatment of syringes, needles, empty vials, tubing, and other items contaminated with trace amounts of chemotherapy.
• MedSafe: The MedSafe medication collection receptacles are utilized for the disposal of ultimate-user medications per the 2014 DEA Final Rule. Ultimate users may dispose of their unwanted, unused, and expired prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, and Schedules II-V controlled medications.

MedSafe may be placed in retail pharmacies, LTCF managed by a pharmacy, hospitals/clinics with an on-site pharmacy, law enforcement agencies, and narcotic treatment programs per the DEA’s rule. Additionally, Sharps Medical Waste Services' carefully executed pickup schedules keep you compliant with Georgia’s BOP 3-day storage limit on inner liners once removed from service.

Georgia Biomedical Waste Disposal Regulations

In the State of Georgia, the Department of Natural Resources Solid Waste Management Program governs the handling of medical waste. In Georgia, regulators use the term "biomedical waste" rather than regulated medical waste or infectious waste. From the Georgia Environmental Compliance Assistance Program (GECAP) Biomedical Waste Tech Guide:

"Biomedical waste, also known as medical waste or infectious waste, is generally defined as any solid waste that is generated in the diagnosis, treatment, research, production or testing of biologicals for humans or animals."

Though the difference in terminology may be confusing, especially if you also have operations in states that use the more common term "regulated medical waste" (RMW), you still have to follow state and federal regulations governing management and disposal of the waste.

Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals

The Georgia Hazardous Waste Management Program governs the handling of hazardous waste as outlined by the state of Georgia and federal regulations per the Resource Recovery and Conservation Act (RCRA).

In 2020, Georgia adopted the EPA’s Management Standards for Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals and Amendment to the P075 Listing for Nicotine Final Rule. LTCFs that are VSQGs, and can prove this every month, may utilize DEA compliant drug collection receptacles, like MedSafe, to dispose of their hazardous waste pharmaceuticals (HWPs) along with all the other medications as allowed by the DEA. This allows for the most efficient, streamlined, and cost-effective disposal of resident medications.

Reference GA’s Environmental Protection Division for more info or contact Sharps’ Regulatory Compliance Team.

Lastly, Georgia is one of 26 states covered by the federal OSHA program. The worker-safety regulations affecting biomedical waste handling, storage, and disposal include:

• Sharps disposal
• Container requirements
• Handling of "red bags" that contain potentially harmful or infectious medical waste

The Sharps Medical Waste Services Advantage

Rules and regulations change frequently, and it's hard for a small business to keep track. We have over two decades of experience in helping healthcare facilities and businesses comply with state and federal medical waste disposal regulations. Sharps’ route-based transporters are dually permitted in the state of Georgia for the direct pickup, transport, and treatment of both biomedical and hazardous wastes.

Let us handle the details so you can focus on serving your patients and your clients.

Sharps Medical Waste Services offers:

• Transparent and affordable pricing
• Superior, personal customer service
• A secure, online tracking system that meets the cradle-to-grave requirements for regulated wastes including storage of records for a minimum of 5 years exceeding Georgia’s 2-year retention requirement
• Access to our staff of medical waste regulatory experts
• Immediate access to an online regulatory resource that offers up-to-date compliance information
• DOT and OSHA-required training available online, 24/7
• DOT-compliant transport of waste and detailed logs/shipping of papers
• Flexible options for disposal – pickup or mailback

There are no hidden fees or surcharge surprises. We provide everything you need to package, label, and track your waste and remain compliant with both state and local laws and regulations.

Call us at 770.800.9988 to request a free quote for medical waste disposal services in Georgia, including the Atlanta metro area.