How to Dispose of Medical Waste in Los Angeles

Medical waste consists of bio-hazardous waste such as bodily fluids and microbiological cultures. Los Angeles and the state of California require disposal of bio-hazardous waste in designated medical waste bags. Sharps are another form of medical waste and include items that break through the skin, including hypodermic needles, lancets, pen needles and catheters. Los Angeles and the state of California require disposal of such wastes in designated "Sharps" containers that are sealed and taped to prevent leakage. Not adhering to proper disposal of medical waste is illegal and causes a threat to the environment and the health of waste management workers and the general public in Los Angeles and surrounding counties.

Things You'll Need

• Red bio-hazard bag
• Sharps container

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Instructions

• 1

  Read the California Waste Management Act Chapter 6.1 of Division 20 of the California Health and Safety Code to familiarize yourself with medical waste disposal laws in Los Angeles and the state of California.

• 2

  Go to a Los Angeles County designated distribution site to get a red "Sharps" container and red bio-hazard-labeled bags. Distribution sites are scattered throughout L.A. County at Goodwill stores and senior citizen centers in West Covina, San Dimas or Sierra Madre. The Public Works Departments in Los Angeles, Redondo Beach and El Segundo, the City of Burbank Recycling Center and Sav-On pharmacies, located in Albertson's grocery stores, offer medical waste disposal bags and containers.

• 3

  Discard blood-soaked wastes such as bandage dressings and swabs or plastic tubes containing bodily fluids in the red bio-hazard bags. Tie the bags shut. Place sharps such as needles or lancets into the sharps container. Keep the lid closed.

• 4

  Drop you sharps containers and bio-hazard bags off at a collection site when they are ¾ full. Sites include City of Los Angeles S.A.F.E. Centers, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health or the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Call 888-253-2652 to arrange for mail-back Sharps containers under the Mail-back Waste Disposal Program, if elderly or disabled.

• 5

  Go to a distribution site to get a new container and red bio-hazard bag, or request another mail-back container and bag upon disposal of your old ones.