As the number of people entering hospitals and other health care facilities continues to increase each year, so does the number of drugs prescribed or purchased over the counter. Many patients also do not complete a course of treatment because of allergic reactions or adverse side effects, resulting in large amounts of wasted medication that accumulate over time.

Although many people believe it is safe to flush unwanted medications down the toilet, this is not the case. Here are just some of the reasons why it is crucial to dispose of pharmaceutical waste in the right way.

Prevent contamination of drinking water supply

Improperly disposed pharmaceutical waste — especially flushed down the toilet — not only “disappears” — it can contaminate any water source it comes into contact with. Over time, these chemicals also leach into the surrounding soil.

This groundwater then flows into nearby rivers and streams and eventually into local drinking water supplies. Traditional methods of purifying drinking water do not remove these substances, which means it poses health risks to people who drink it.

Prevent wild animals from consuming chemicals

If pharmaceutical waste is not properly disposed of, it will not only affect humans; Plants, animals and Marine species also absorb them. Some of these chemicals become more potent as you move up the food chain, which can cause species like tuna to become too dangerous for humans to eat safely.

Prevention of crop pollution

Some studies have shown that even substances that are generally considered harmless, such as ibuprofen, can negatively affect crop growth by weakening root systems over time. This is not just having a negative impact on the crops themselves; Anyone who eats food grown in these fields could also end up introducing these chemicals into their bodies.

Preventing drugs from falling into the wrong hands

Another serious problem when medicines are simply thrown in the bin instead of being properly disposed of is that unsuspecting people can pick them up and consume them. They can also end up intact in landfills, where they can be collected by unscrupulous waste collectors or eaten by innocent wildlife.

Protect the reputation of the medical establishment

Not only will medical institutions that fail to properly dispose of pharmaceutical waste be fined heavily; The regulator is also known for publishing the names of any doctors and/or medical institutions found guilty of misdisposing pharmaceutical waste. It would also have a huge negative impact on the reputation of particular medical institutions.

How to dispose of pharmaceutical waste?

The process of our integrated Medical Waste Shredder aims to mince and sterilize infectious waste to reduce its volume and render its components unrecognizable, all integrated in a fully enclosed and automated stainless steel system. It combines shredding, direct steam, and high pressure to process infectious materials.

The contaminated waste is loaded into the upper chamber and the waste is cut into small pieces by a heavy-duty, high-torque, low-speed crusher.

Using gravity, the treated material falls into the lower treatment chamber, where each pellet is heated by steam to 138°C (280 F) and pressurized.

After the cooling process, the final product is reduced in volume (by up to 80%), becomes unrecognizable, and can be safely recycled or disposed of as ordinary municipal waste.