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Medical Waste Disposal
The College of Veterinary Medicine disposes of all Regulated Medical Waste, or RMW, generated by Cornell facilities in Tompkins and Cortland Counties. Parcels of RMW (e.g., biohazard bags and sharps containers) are collected at the CVM Incinerator/Waste Management Facility, where they are packaged for pickup by a commercial, offsite RMW disposal contractor. The contractor, in turn, shreds and disinfects the waste so that it can be disposed of as municipal solid waste.
Refer to the Medical Waste Disposal Guide for general guidance on RMW disposal.
The Incinerator Facility is open to receive waste as follows:
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Monday - Thursday: 7:00 to 4:00
Friday: 7:00 to 3:00
The facility operates beyond these hours for private cremations of large animals, emergencies, and other special circumstances.
Procedures for RMW Disposal
All RMW delivered to the Incinerator Facility must be submitted using the Medical Waste Tracking System (MWTS). We also provide instructions for delivery of waste to the Incinerator/Waste Management Facility.
Medical Waste Carts (photo at left)
Generators located within the main Vet College complex (i.e., Schurman Hall, VRT, VEC, VMC, CPC and associated barns) must transport their waste to the Waste Management Facility in dedicated red transport carts. For information on obtaining a waste cart, contact the MWTS Director at MWAdmin@xchange.vet.cornell.edu.
Reusable Sharps Containers
Reusable sharps containers are available for use as alternatives to conventional, disposable medical waste containers. Departments using these containers will realize significant savings over the cost of disposable sharps containers, and using them saves natural resources! Also, the 10-gallon containers do not have to be transported in the red Medical Waste transport carts - any cart can be used. Users of the containers must be registered with the CVM Biosafety Program -- contact Paul Jennette (jpj22 or 253-4227) or Steve Mosch (sm225 or 253-3288) before obtaining them from the Incinerator/Waste Management Facility.
Reusable sharps containers are processed using a specialized system at the RMW disposal contractor's facility. The system involves automated dumping and washing of the containers, followed by two decontamination steps, only one of which is required by the facility's operating permit:
- Rinsing in a sodium hypochlorite solution
- Rinsing in 180F water.
The containers are then hand-dried and inspected for contamination before being returned to the CVM.
Click here for printable instructions for Reusable Sharps Containers.
Reusable Grey Medical Waste Containers
Reusable grey medical waste containers (supplied with Biohazard liner bags) are available for use as alternatives to using red bags alone for "red bag" waste (Please note that these containers may not be used for sharps.) Departments using these containers will realize the following advantages:
- Savings from not purchasing Biohazard bags.
- Avoiding double-bagging or pre-autoclaving of waste.
- Simplified disposal of plastic pipettes & tips - they can be placed "loose" in the containers' liner bags, without being placed in a box or other container first.
- The containers can be transported using an open flat cart or hand truck.
In addition, managing "Red Bag" waste in these containers is much safer for the staff that handle the University's medical waste. Users of the containers must be registered with the CVM Biosafety Program -- contact Paul Jennette (jpj22 or 253-4227) or Steve Mosch (sm225 or 253-3288) before obtaining them from the Incinerator/Waste Management Facility.
Reusable grey medical waste containers are processed using an automated system at the RMW disposal contractor's facility. The system involves automated dumping and washing of the containers, followed by rinsing in 180F water for decontamination. The containers are then hand-dried and inspected for contamination before being returned to the CVM. Each empty container is supplied with a Biohazard liner bag.
Click here for printable instructions for Reusable Grey Medical Waste Containers.
Disposal Fees
To recover the cost of using its offsite RMW disposal contractor, the CVM charges an RMW disposal fee of $0.41/pound. This fee is charged either to CVM departments (for generators located inside the main Vet College Complex) or to Cornell Environmental Health & Safety (for all other generators.)
Planned Changes
Information on changes planned for the CVM Incinerator and Waste Management Facility is available. A computer rendering of the new facility is shown to the right. A larger view of this rendering is also available.
If you have any questions on these issues or need additional information, please contact Paul Jennette (jpj22 or 253-4227) or Steve Mosch (sm225 or 253-3288).