Medical Waste in Maryland:

Alternatives to Incineration

by Elizabeth Ridlington, Frontier Group, and Brad Heavner, MaryPIRG Foundation

Executive Summary

Maryland’s hospitals and health care facilities annually classify more than 35,000 tons of waste as regulated medical waste that must be sterilized before disposal. Incineration of this waste releases pollution such as mercury and dioxin that imperils public health. Medical Waste in Maryland: Alternatives to Incineration explores opportunities for hospitals to reduce the amount of medical waste they generation and alternatives to burning waste, such as autoclaves and specialized microwaves.

 Download MD-Medical-Waste-in-Maryland-text.pdf