Chances are you've used vaccines and medicines to prevent or treat
disease in your cattle. All the medical supplies you use, including
sharps such as injection needles and scalpels, eventually become medical
waste. How can you store this waste safely and how can you get rid of
it?
Safe storage means medical waste is put in containers that are leak-proof,
puncture-proof, unbreakable, with a resealable and locking lid, and
a carrying handle. Seems like a tall order but commercial containers
are available, and in a pinch, you can use paint cans with lids, juice
cans if holes are plugged and taped, intact picnic coolers with the
valve plugged and taped, or large plastic shipping barrels with locking
lids such as those used for pickles and other products. For producers
thinking of taking the Quality Starts HereTM verified beef program,
there is a new 50-50 cost share federal funding support for equipment,
and disposal containers for empty medication bottles are on the list.
Safe storage also means that these containers are locked away so that
this waste is not reused by mistake and children don't have access.
In some regions you can put this waste out for collection or transport
it to a landfill, but in others it is not eligible for pickup and will
be refused if delivered to the waste disposal site. This waste is not
recyclable.
Your veterinarian may take back your unwanted medicines and sharps.
However, your vet requires a certificate from the Ministry of the Environment
to do so. Not all clinics have one. Another issue identified by both
veterinarians and producers is biosecurity. If you want to take
it back, a protocol that will minimize the risk of disease spread via
these wastes should be in place and followed.
A direct disposal option does exist in some areas. There are
sterilization and incineration companies that can take care of this
medical waste. The biosecurity risk is minimized because the items are
sterilized or incinerated. The amount of leftover waste going to landfills
is cut by over 50%. There is a cost associated with this service that
can be claimed as a business expense. This service may be especially
handy for those times when large amounts of waste are generated, for
example, when calves are processed or pens/herds are on treatment programs
for respiratory disease.
For more information about safe storage and responsible disposal
of medical waste see our on-line Factsheets:
Safe On-Farm Storage of Unwanted Medicines and Sharps
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/animalcare/amr/facts/05-053.htm
and
Responsible Disposal of Unwanted Medicines and Sharps
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/animalcare/amr/facts/05-051.htm
