Medical Equipment Disposal Best Practices

Technology is central to modern-day healthcare. From scans, to diagnostic systems, to electronic medical records, medical equipment and technology play a crucial role in treatment. Unfortunately, these devices don’t last forever. When it comes time for disposal of your old medical equipment, it’s helpful to know the options available for you or your practice. 

Reselling and Donations 

Reselling or donating old medical equipment presents a great option from a financial and/or sustainability perspective. Clinics or practices with more limited budgets could put the old equipment to continued good use. It also helps prolong the life cycle of the equipment, keeping it out of the landfill. 

Whether the equipment gets sold or donated, there’s the added bonus of financial incentive. Selling can contribute to the purchase of a new device, and you can potentially write off donated devices, reducing your tax bill. 

If this route interests you, you should reach out to providers near you first. If no one is interested, there are numerous medical equipment refurbishers who could purchase the equipment off of you. 

Recycling

Sometimes, reselling or donating isn’t an option. The equipment might be broken, or simply have become too outdated to be of value for a different practice. In these cases, recycling makes the most sense. 

Many medical devices, particularly medical technology devices, contain valuable resources. Recycling these devices ensures that these valuable resources don’t go to waste. It also prevents pollution, as many of these devices contain components that contaminate the environment as they degrade in a landfill.  

However, don’t just drop off your old medical devices into a standard recycling bin. Standard or residential recyclers likely don’t have the equipment necessary for the proper disposal of medical equipment. Instead, you will need to find a specialized recycler. Medical Waste Pros can help with that, and the process is as easy as a phone call. 

Contaminated Medical Equipment Disposal 

Through the course of its use, or sometimes through unforeseen circumstances, medical equipment gets contaminated. This could be with pathogens, microbes, or any manner of toxic material. 

In these cases, recycling or reselling doesn’t work. For contaminated medical equipment, disposal presents the best option. The FDA does not have a specific protocol for these cases. However, it’s still recommended to follow safe disposal protocols, similar to the handling of hazardous waste. 

Medical Equipment Disposal with Medical Waste Pros 

If you’re looking for disposal options for your medical equipment, Medical Waste Pros can help. We partner with trusted and certified providers around the nation that can take care of all of your medical waste needs. Call us (888) 755-6370 or fill out the form on the page and we’ll connect you to an affordable and convenient disposal provider within minutes.