Some piles of recycling in the North Okanagan are carrying a hidden risk.
Every day, hundreds of bags get dropped off at Bluewater Project Inc., a recycling facility, in Vernon.
Workers open every bag and touch every piece of recycling that comes through the facility, making sure it gets sorted properly.
But some North Okanagan residents are making that job dangerous because they are throwing biomedical waste, like hypodermic needles, into the recycling.
In fact, more than 500 needles have been collected since September. It has been enough to fill one two-litre pop bottle and nine other biohazard containers.
“We’re seeing lots of sharps, needles, IV bags, those kinds of items,” said Kim Dianocky, manager at Bluewater Project Inc., which is contracted by the Regional District of North Okanagan.
She says people may be throwing their hypodermic needles into the recycling due to lack of education. But it’s worker safety that she’s most concerned about.
“There’s contamination risk if you do get poked by one of these needles. The risks are minimal but there is a chance that somebody will get hurt,” she said.
“We want to remind [residents] that not everything is recyclable. Medical waste is certainly not one of those,” said Carmen Morgan, waste reduction coordinator for the Regional District of North Okanagan.
And remember that before you throw your biomedical waste away, you may want to double check with your professional about the method that is safest for everyone.
Hazardous Waste Management: http://www.hazwastebc.com/categories/biomedical-waste/
Regional District what to recycle: http://www.regionaldistrict.com/media/21318/2004_recycle_dir.pdf
Every day, hundreds of bags get dropped off at Bluewater Project Inc., a recycling facility, in Vernon.
Workers open every bag and touch every piece of recycling that comes through the facility, making sure it gets sorted properly.
But some North Okanagan residents are making that job dangerous because they are throwing biomedical waste, like hypodermic needles, into the recycling.
In fact, more than 500 needles have been collected since September. It has been enough to fill one two-litre pop bottle and nine other biohazard containers.
“We’re seeing lots of sharps, needles, IV bags, those kinds of items,” said Kim Dianocky, manager at Bluewater Project Inc., which is contracted by the Regional District of North Okanagan.
She says people may be throwing their hypodermic needles into the recycling due to lack of education. But it’s worker safety that she’s most concerned about.
“There’s contamination risk if you do get poked by one of these needles. The risks are minimal but there is a chance that somebody will get hurt,” she said.
“We want to remind [residents] that not everything is recyclable. Medical waste is certainly not one of those,” said Carmen Morgan, waste reduction coordinator for the Regional District of North Okanagan.
And remember that before you throw your biomedical waste away, you may want to double check with your professional about the method that is safest for everyone.
Hazardous Waste Management: http://www.hazwastebc.com/categories/biomedical-waste/
Regional District what to recycle: http://www.regionaldistrict.com/media/21318/2004_recycle_dir.pdf
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