November marks Diabetes Awareness Month in the United States. For more than 40 years, people with diabetes, their caregivers, loved ones, and other advocates rally in November to shine a spotlight on this chronic disease. According to the American Diabetes Association, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with diabetes every 23 seconds.
Patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are using self-injectable medications to manage and treat their condition. To help employees who need to dispose of their sharps, organizations can partner with a trusted waste disposal partner.
An essential part of diabetes care is properly managing the associated waste. People with diabetes must inject insulin, sometimes multiple times a day, which results in a need for the disposal of needles and related equipment. With the rising number of people working with diabetes, human resource and people leaders can support their employees by providing a more secure and safe waste disposal method compared to using regular trash, and that can be implemented in the office or at home. Creating and implementing organizational waste management programs helps to protect the company, its employees, and the community.
More than half of Type 1 cases are estimated to develop after age 20, a time when most adults enter the workforce. HR leaders can help ensure that relevant health concerns are addressed as part of an employee wellness or benefits program by offering cost-effective and convenient sharps disposal options, such as SafeDropTM Sharps Mail Back Solutions.
Stericycle offers mail back solutions, where both small and large volumes of waste can be accommodated. The SafeDropTM Sharps Management Kit provides everything needed to collect sharps waste. All mail back containers and kits are authorized for use by the United States Postal Service (USPS).
The SafeDropTM service options include:
- Sharps disposal in workplace restrooms – featuring a sturdy, stainless steel surround and a SafeDropTM container nestled inside.
- Sharps disposal kits for at-home use – easy for employees to store, fill, and mail used sharps via the United States Postal Service
SafeDropTM containers and kits feature:
- Sharps container and plastic liner with a simple and secure lid design
- Step-by-step instructions
- Pre-addressed, postage-paid return shipping labels
- Barcoded return shipping container
- Prepaid sharps treatment and disposal
- Serialized tracking documents (for tracking delivery to treatment facility)
Whether people are working in the office, working remotely, or participating in a hybrid work model, companies can offer safe sharps disposal solutions. Employers can participate in a route-based container exchange with a Stericycle technician or mail back service options. Employers also have the option of sending collection receptacles home as part of an employee benefits program. Both solutions are convenient and easy to use and can help prevent unintended sharps injuries and exposure to bloodborne pathogens in the workplace or at home.
National Diabetes Awareness Month is an opportune time for organizational leaders to consider what additional steps they can proactively take to ensure health conditions, such as diabetes, are covered in their employee benefits and wellness programs. In turn, by identifying and partnering with a trusted waste disposal partner, human resource leaders show a commitment to the health and well-being of their employees.
By partnering with Stericycle, you can take steps to work in a safer environment, live in a healthier community, and
enjoy the world around you.
Learn more about how Stericycle helps our customers protect the communities we serve with SafeDropTM Sharps Mail Back Solutions.
