Effective Surgical Waste Disposal and Compliance for Ambulatory Surgical Centers
Stericycle provides surgery centers with an array of safe and compliant surgical waste disposal solutions to maintain regulated medical waste and compliance requirements.
Stericycle is the trusted partner to tens of thousands of surgery centers across the U.S.
Stericycle enables surgery centers to maintain regulatory compliance by providing regulated medical waste management and compliance solutions that protect people and brands, promote health and well-being, and safeguard the environment.
Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) operate in a fast-paced environment that requires the careful balance of providing patient care with maintaining a safe and compliant treatment facility.
We appreciate how important your role is in providing same-day surgical and procedural services for patients, whether you are a doctor, a registered nurse, or an office manager. We also understand the effort it takes to manage the different regulated waste streams in your treatment facility, while maintaining an environment where your employees and facility are up-to-date with regulatory requirements.
We customize surgical waste disposal solutions for your needs, whether you are a single center specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders, such as gastrointestinal and reproductive, among others, or a multi-site national provider focused on preventative healthcare and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses.
Book Your Waste Assessment and Compliance Review Today
Solutions for Surgical Waste Disposal Across Waste Streams for Surgery Centers
Our surgical waste disposal solutions offer a variety of safe, secure, and compliant container options for the following types of waste generated in your facility.
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Biohazardous Medical Waste
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Surgical Sharps Waste
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Pharmaceutical Waste
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Trace Chemotherapy Waste
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Pathological Waste
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Confidential Information and Documents
Stericycle Biohazardous Medical Waste Solutions provide ASCs with the compliant collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal of regulated waste generated from same-day surgical services.
We recommend all regulated medical waste or red bag waste, including any items saturated with blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM), such as bandages, gauze, PPE, or tubes, be disposed of safely in marked containers and stored for pickup. It is also an environmentally safe practice.
Sharps Waste
Stericycle Sharps Solutions provide a range of containers and service options for the disposal of waste generated from outpatient surgeries like cataract surgery, small joint repairs, lumpectomies, and other surgical procedures.
We recommend all sharps waste collected such as needles, scalpels, pipettes, and guidewires used in surgery, be disposed of in a designated sharps container to reduce needlestick injuries and keep employees safe.
Pharmaceutical Waste
Stericycle Pharmaceutical Waste Solutions provide safe and compliant disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous medication waste including expired, partially used, or contaminated medication or ointments and anesthesia gas waste dispensed to patients as part of their treatment.
We recommend medication waste be classified and disposed of in the respective disposal containers for hazardous waste, non-hazardous waste, or controlled substance wastage only.
We also offer a solution to safely dispose of any schedule II-V controlled substance wastage, which is waste that was administered to a patient and no longer part of your ambulatory surgery center’s inventory. DEA regulations divide controlled substances into 5 schedules depending on medical use or lack thereof, abuse potential, and likeliness to cause dependence.
We also provide your patients (ultimate users) with mail back envelopes for disposal of unused consumer medications including pills and liquids.
Trace Chemotherapy Waste
Stericycle Biohazardous Medical Waste Solutions enable you to safely dispose of chemotherapy waste from preparing chemotherapy drugs to meet the needs of an individual patients.
We recommend all chemotherapy waste, including vials with trace amounts, unused IVs, needles and syringes, personal protective equipment, and contaminated materials from spill cleanups be properly segregated, packaged, labeled for safe pickup and disposal and marked for incineration.
Pathological Waste
Stericycle Biohazardous Medical Waste Solutions allow for the safe disposal of pathological waste generated from surgical procedures such as human body parts, organs, tissues, and surgical specimens.
We recommend you and your staff properly segregate, package, and dispose of pathological waste generated from your facility in containers marked for incineration only.
Confidential Information and Documents
Our Shred-it® secure information destruction service provides safe and secure destruction of paperwork generated through serving patients or other administrative tasks that contain patient protected health information or confidential information, such as patient names, addresses, or phone numbers.
We recommend all confidential information be locked in secure consoles prior to being securely shredded with Shred-it.
Biohazardous Medical Waste
Stericycle Biohazardous Medical Waste Solutions provide ASCs with the compliant collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal of regulated waste generated from same-day surgical services.
We recommend all regulated medical waste or red bag waste, including any items saturated with blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM), such as bandages, gauze, PPE, or tubes, be disposed of safely in marked containers and stored for pickup. It is also an environmentally safe practice.
Sharps Waste
Stericycle Sharps Solutions provide a range of containers and service options for the disposal of waste generated from outpatient surgeries like cataract surgery, small joint repairs, lumpectomies, and other surgical procedures.
We recommend all sharps waste collected such as needles, scalpels, pipettes, and guidewires used in surgery, be disposed of in a designated sharps container to reduce needlestick injuries and keep employees safe.
Pharmaceutical Waste
Stericycle Pharmaceutical Waste Solutions provide safe and compliant disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous medication waste including expired, partially used, or contaminated medication or ointments and anesthesia gas waste dispensed to patients as part of their treatment.
We recommend medication waste be classified and disposed of in the respective disposal containers for hazardous waste, non-hazardous waste, or controlled substance wastage only.
We also offer a solution to safely dispose of any schedule II-V controlled substance wastage, which is waste that was administered to a patient and no longer part of your ambulatory surgery center’s inventory. DEA regulations divide controlled substances into 5 schedules depending on medical use or lack thereof, abuse potential, and likeliness to cause dependence.
We also provide your patients (ultimate users) with mail back envelopes for disposal of unused consumer medications including pills and liquids.
Trace Chemotherapy Waste
Stericycle Biohazardous Medical Waste Solutions enable you to safely dispose of chemotherapy waste from preparing chemotherapy drugs to meet the needs of an individual patients.
We recommend all chemotherapy waste, including vials with trace amounts, unused IVs, needles and syringes, personal protective equipment, and contaminated materials from spill cleanups be properly segregated, packaged, labeled for safe pickup and disposal and marked for incineration.
Pathological Waste
Stericycle Biohazardous Medical Waste Solutions allow for the safe disposal of pathological waste generated from surgical procedures such as human body parts, organs, tissues, and surgical specimens.
We recommend you and your staff properly segregate, package, and dispose of pathological waste generated from your facility in containers marked for incineration only.
Confidential Information and Documents
Our Shred-it® secure information destruction service provides safe and secure destruction of paperwork generated through serving patients or other administrative tasks that contain patient protected health information or confidential information, such as patient names, addresses, or phone numbers.
We recommend all confidential information be locked in secure consoles prior to being securely shredded with Shred-it.
Recommended Compliance Solutions for Surgery Centers
Our regulatory experts have served same-day surgery centers across the U.S. and understand the importance of safety and medical waste compliance protocols.
Stericycle’s suite of Steri-Safe® Compliance Solutions enable you to easily manage your HIPAA and OSHA compliance requirements in formats that suit your surgery center’s needs. From online solutions to in-person step-by-step guidance, we will help doctors, nurses, and office managers stay compliant.
On-Site HIPAA and OSHA Expertise
Our HIPAA and OSHA experts will visit on-site to train your staff and conduct a HIPAA Privacy & Security Gap Analysis and a 150-point mock-OSHA facility evaluation to help you identify your risks of non-compliance and provide you with actionable recommendations.
Centralized Online Training
Access online trainings for the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens and Hazard Communication Standards as well as HIPAA regulations. Our Online Training Center allows you to assign trainings to staff and track completion, so you can easily maintain compliance.
On-Demand Compliance Resources
Unlock a variety of HIPAA and OSHA compliance resources, including our database of over 10M Safety Data Sheets (SDS), customizable OSHA Safety Plan Templates, HIPAA Privacy and Security Manuals, and HIPAA Policy Templates to remain compliant.
OSHA & HIPAA Training Requirements for Surgery Centers
Compliance Training
Biohazardous Waste
OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens
OSHA Hazard Communication Awareness
HIPAA Privacy and Security
DOT Hazardous Materials
Requirements*
Required by some state waste authorities annually and recommended upon initial assignment for all states.
Required by OSHA upon initial assignment and annually thereafter.
Required by OSHA upon initial assignment and with introduction of any new hazardous chemicals thereafter.
Required by HHS OCR upon initial assignment and recommended annually thereafter.
Required by DOT upon initial assignment and every three years thereafter for those who either sign shipping papers or package hazardous materials for transport.
*Remember to consider state regulatory requirements as compliance requirements may vary.
OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration, HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HHS OCR: Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, DOT: Department of Transportation
Why Stericycle?
When you choose Stericycle, you are selecting a partner with the resources to work with and stand by you when things are easy and when they are hard so you can focus on what matters most – your patients.
Industry Leader
Industry leader with over 30 years of experience managing the collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal of regulated waste.
Regulatory Experts
Customizable solutions with one partner managing regulated medical waste streams, HIPAA and OSHA compliance, and secure information destruction.
Customized Solutions
Reliable on-time service delivered by a nationwide network of treatment facilities, state-of-the-art fleet of trucks, proprietary real-time tracking systems, and qualified service operators.
One Partner
Dedicated team of on-site and off-site regulatory experts and online customer portal, MyStericycle.com, featuring a breadth of on-demand compliance trainings, tools, and resources.
Customer Service
Seamless customer experience delivered through easy onboarding, convenient online account management, and accessible client support.
Medical Waste Management Is Essential to a Safe and Efficient Healthcare Environment
95%
of healthcare workers believe improper medical waste management puts their physical safety at risk
Stericycle, Healthcare Workplace Safety Trend Report, 2023.
90%
of healthcare workers feel that improper medical & biohazardous waste management can harm the environment and impact health and well-being
Stericycle, Healthcare Workplace Safety Trend Report, 2023.
The Healthcare Workplace Safety Trend Report provides in-depth survey data and analysis of U.S. healthcare providers’, administrators’, and consumers' perspectives on health and safety, revealing crucial insights and impact on providers, patients, and communities.
