Recycling Solutions for the Healthcare Industry
DID YOU KNOW... The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the AHA (American Hospital Association) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to virtually eliminate mercury-containing waste from the health-care industry by the year 2005.
There are three ways you can keep mercury out of the medical wastestream:
- Use alternative products that do not contain mercury whenever possible.
- Separate mercury-containing products before they get into the incineration wastestream.
- Recycle mercury-containing products as much as possible to keep mercury out of the environment.
AERC is a full-service mercury recycling company committed to developing and utilizing the recycling technologies of the future. Following the edict of the EPA and AHA, AERC have joined forces with several hospitals to establish guidelines for the economical, safe, and environmentally sound reduction of mercury and mercury-containing devices within the healthcare industry.
AERC's superior recycling technologies assure the following benefits :
- Complete compliance with all Federal, State and Local regulations.
- Fully Permitted Facility - PADEP Hazardous Waste Recycling Permit.
- Six million dollars of liability insurance. Five million dollar umbrella
- Five years of fluorescent lamp recycling and over 20 years of hazardous waste experience.
- Complete in-house processing (no subcontractors).
- 100% recycling and reuse of elemental mercury, devices, and lamps
(no components or residuals are landfilled). - AERC's standards meet or exceed industry standards for safety and industrial hygiene.
- Peace of mind through limited liability.
Mercury-free Conversion
Successfully converting to a mercury- free facility requires essential steps:
- A firm commitment to eliminate or reduce the use of mercury and mercury-containing devices.
- A plan of action must be created which reflects an uncompromising commitment to be mercury-free.
- Consistent application of the plan to see it through completion and ensure proper implementation.
To achieve these goals, AERC offers the following recycling solutions to your mercury-free commitment:
Thermometers and Mercury Containing Devices.
If not properly recycled, mercury may not be effectively removed from devices such as thermometers, blood pressure units, esophageal devices, Cantor and Miller Abbot tubes and other mercury-containing instruments.
Fluorescent, HID & other Lighting Devices
AERC offers a recycling technology that separates mercury-containing lamps into their main components, recovers mercury, and recycles 100% of the end products. We accept traditional straight, U- shaped and coated fluorescent, mercury vapor, high pressure sodium, metal halide, ultraviolet, ARC and compact fluorescent lamps. We can also assist you with ballast recycling.
Batteries
Battery recycling protects our environment from heavy metal contamination. AERC accepts all types of batteries: mercuric oxide, silver oxide, NICAD, alkaline, lithium metal, nickel metal hydride, lithium ion and lead acid.
Mercury Spill Kits & Product Sales
To promote safety in the event of a mercury spill, AERC provides Mercury Spill Kits for small incident clean-ups. Our Mercury Spill Kits may be tailored to industry specifications and used to manage dental amalgam programs. In addition, AERC can supply DOT-approved pails (ranging in size from 1-5 gallons) for use as secure collection vessels for your thermometers, batteries and other mercury-containing devices.