How Will COVID-19 Vaccinations Effect Waste Disposal Plans

 The vaccine we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. The hope is that the vaccine will eradicate COVID-19 and everyone can get back to the lifestyle they enjoyed prior to the pandemic. 

Most of the conversations currently revolving around the vaccine pertain to effectiveness, safety, and availability. Very few people have taken the time to wonder what happens to all the waste the COVID-19 vaccine will generate.

The COVID-19 vaccine is a killed virus. Upon receiving an order of the vaccine, you’ll have to follow proper storage

The Challenge of Vaccine Disposal

The protective package individual COVID-19 vaccinations are contained in can be thrown in the rubbish or recycling bins. When it comes to the actual syringe, disposal becomes challenging. 


Used and discarded syringes must be dealt with in a safe manner. Considering that approximately 300,000 doses per week will be administered, those syringes add up to a massive amount of waste. Considering how busy you’ll be administering the vaccine, you’ll want to create a plan for dealing with the waste right now, rather than waiting until you’ve run out of room to store the used syringes.

Short-Term Disposal of COVID-19 Vaccine Waste

The safe, short-term disposal of COVID-19 vaccine waste involves placing the used syringes into sharps containers. These heavy, plastic containers are designed in a way that prevents anyone from accessing the used syringes.

The problem many health care facilities may encounter is that given the high number of vaccines they will likely administer each week, the sharps containers will fill quickly. Any facility that administers the vaccine will need additional sharps containers and will also have to find a place to store both the full and unused sharps containers.

Permanent Disposal Plans for COVID-19 Vaccine

Sharps containers are only a short term solution for COVID-19 vaccine waste.
Based on the projected number of COVID-19 vaccinations expected to be administered in the upcoming months, vaccination waste is something you need to be thinking about right now. The waste will quickly add up. When it does, you’ll be amazed by how much waste all those sharps containers take up.

The key to successfully and safely disposing of the COVID-19 vaccination waste is contacting a waste disposal company and arranging for them to dispose of the full sharps containers.

Right now, is the best time to create a vaccine waste disposal plan.

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