STERICYCLE: LIVING UP TO ITS MISSION? AN ENVIRONMENTAL

0,94
MB HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF THE NATION’S LARGEST MEDICAL

54
stron WASTE COMPANY

4052
ID Health Care Without Harm

2002
rok

I. The Purpose of this Report 1

II. Assessing Stericycle's Growth into a Medical Waste Giant.3

A. Opportunities for Growth.4

B. International Markets 4

C. Potential Limits to Growth: Hospitals May Have Economical Alternatives to Stericycle.5

D. Potential Limits to Growth: Quality of Services5

III. Assessing Stericycle's Efforts to Reduce the Volume and Toxicity of Waste 7

A. Problems in the Segregation of Hazardous Chemicals 8

B. Promoting the Use of Less Toxic Health Care Products.9

C. Promoting Recycling.10

D. Contracts to Promote the Reduction of Waste Volume and Toxicity .10

E. Recommendations for Stericycle's Efforts to Reduce the Volume and Toxicity of Waste .11

IV. Assessing Stericycle's Efforts to Eliminate Incineration 13

A. Alternative Technologies Available to Stericycle.13

B. Stericycle's Use of Incineration.14

C. Does Stericycle Need Incineration to Manage Waste Safely?15

D. Are Stericycle Incinerators that Meet the New EPA Standards Safe? 17

E. Incineration of Residues from Other Waste Treatment Technologies .18

F. Factors Influencing Stericycle's Reliance on Incineration 20

G. Recommendations for Stericycle's Efforts to Eliminate Incineration .23

V. Assessing Stericycle's Efforts to Protect Workers and Communities From Pathogens 25

A. Serious Concerns About Pathogen Containment and Worker Safety25

B. Recommendations to Stericycle to Protect Workers and Communities 28

VI. Assessing Stericycle's Efforts to Minimize the Impact of its Facilities and

Adhere to the Principles of Environmental Justice when Siting Facilities .29

A. Recommendations to Stericycle to Minimize the Impact of its Facilities

and Adhere to the Principles of Environmental Justice when Siting Facilities .32

VII. Conclusion.33

Endnotes ..35

Appendices

1. Stericycle Facilities: map and list of locations .37

2. Stericycle Acquisitions .39

3. Correspondence between HCWH and Stericycle 41