Hospitals Unprepared for Hazardous Ebola Waste

U.S. hospitals could have trouble handling and disposing of Ebola-related waste if they begin to treat infected patients, potentially threatening public safety.

The hemorrhagic fever is transmitted through bodily fluids and produces significant vomiting and diarrhea in people it infects.

These fluids would be considered biohazards and require special handling and disposal that few hospitals are prepared to carry out.

As health officials entertain the possibility that more Ebola cases could arrive in the United States, it’s a logistical problem hospitals are starting to consider.

The challenge was highlighted Wednesday in a report by Reuters, which chronicled how doctors at Emory University in Atlanta handled Ebola waste in the course of treating two infected missionaries.

Patients were generating “up to 40 bags a day of medical waste,” according to Emory assistant professor of medicine Aneesh Mehta. And the hospital’s disposal company, Stericycle, reportedly refused to handle the material at first.

So clinicians found a temporary solution: 32-gallon rubber containers with lids from Home Depot. Later, they used a special sterilizer to neutralize the waste before passing it to the company for disposal.

Reuters noted that few hospitals have the ability to sterilize materials on site like Emory.

“For this reason, it would be very difficult for a hospital to agree to care for Ebola cases. This desperately needs a fix,” Dr. Jeffrey Duchin, chair of the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s Public Health Committee, told the wire service.

Federal health and transportation agencies are reportedly meeting to discuss and resolve the issue.

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World’s Biggest Dumps

Africa is home to some beautiful sites…and then there’s Agbogbloshie, Ghana. The town has one of the world’s largest dumps for discarded electronics. Millions of tons of used electronics from all over the world – including the U.S. – are sent to Africa to be re-sold or donated to charity. But much of it is broken or obsolete and winds up in Agbogbloshie. The old electronics are often smashed by scavengers looking for valuable metals inside, such as copper. Back in the U.S., the Puente Hills landfill in Los Angeles County, California, has piles of trash reaching as high as a 40-story building. The landfill, which was the largest in the country, closed this past October after more than 50 years in operation because it reached capacity – about 130 million tons of trash. The landfill will be sealed with a layer of dirt and eventually turned into a park. But the largest trash dump in the world isn’t actually on land – it’s in the Pacific Ocean. Trash thrown into the Pacific is carried by currents to an area north of Hawaii. This floating trash pile is now estimated to be larger in area than the state of Texas. Several private organizations are working to clean it up, which is difficult because of its size and remote location. The good news is that the city of Oslo, Norway has a use for some of that ocean trash: converting it to heat and electricity by burning it. The Norwegians are such good recyclers that they often run out of trash to burn and must import it from other countries. Kudos to the Norwegians for doing their part to prevent Africa – and the rest of the world – from becoming one giant trash heap.

Yahoo News Video:
http://news.yahoo.com/video/whoknew-worlds-biggest-dumps-060000314.html

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Green Planet Architects – New Website that Connects Green Building Professionals

We all want to prevent waste – in our daily lives and on more substantial levels. Diverting waste, being environmentally friendly, and being efficient with time, money, and resources: these are important goals. And that’s what green construction is all about.

Green construction includes diverting waste at construction sites as well as over the life time of a building. Green companies don’t just think about the immediate impact today, they also consider what impact is made tomorrow. There are many factors such as waste prevention, government mandates, cost effectiveness, materials used, constructing methods, environmental threats and more that form the Green Building sector.

Many architects and builders are interested in sustainability and “going green.” It’s rare to find an architect who specializes in green building and also has the necessary background and experience that goes along with the title of being eco-friendly.

With the launch of Green Planet Architects those in the sustainability and development sector can connect with one another through the first international network of sustainable architects. The site prides itself in empowering those who prefer to go the eco-minded route, while also making this planet a greener place for all of us to enjoy!

Don’t forget to visit our website to see how you can recycle today’s resources for tomorrow’s generations!
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Making Managing Franchise Agreements Easier for Cities

As Franchise Agreements are changing, so are the features Green Halo offers to allow you to manage the materials assigned to your Franchise Providers. Green Halo now allows you to set specific Materials to trigger your City’s Franchise Agreement notification, giving you more control over any Materials covered in your Franchise Agreement outside of just Trash and Mixed C&D. Assuring that proper notifications and instructions are given to contractors and businesses that are required to comply with these requirements.

To find out more about this new feature please contact our support staff at any time. Green Halo Systems, recycling today’s resources for tomorrow’s generations.

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Interview – Dan Burda, President of Industrial Shredder

Last month at Greenbuild in Philadelphia we had a chance to speak with Dan Burda, President and Owner of Industrial Shredder (www.IndustrialShredder.com). Dan is in the business of selling recycling equipment that processes debris for recycling and reuse with applications and solution for industrial, manufacturing and waste management sectors. Dan is very passionate about the recycling business and has years of experience in the set up and development of materials processing lines for a variety of users. Here’s what Dan had to say:

Can you tell me a little bit about your business background, what you’re currently involved with and the actual position held now?

The Burda family like others in the early 1960’s time frame were pioneering processing equipment for a new industry evolving around recycling. We are known as the Henry Ford of the shear type shredder (one, two and four shaft) and the vertical grinder or vertical shredder, two of the core pieces of equipment used in recycling systems today. The major family groups involved in this pioneering of recycling systems and equipment during this time frame can be counted on your hands; the Newell family, the Williams family, the Panning family, the Kasczmarek family, the Brewer family, the Griesedieck family, and the Gruendler family.

What are the most recent advances in recycling in your industry?

Advances in scrap metal recycling, e-waste recycling, and tire recycling are the three main areas where advances in systems and technology has improved these changing industries.

In your opinion, what are the challenges facing recycling today?

The baseline economics of recycling where everyone in the food chain can make money on a sustained basis at a living wage scale.

What has your company done to face those challenges?

Pioneer the expansion of our manufacturing base in China and India to offer lower cost recycling systems and equipment with western quality that allow for more economical solutions to recycling systems and equipment.

How are the new government regulations affecting recycling?

Any regulation that promotes recycling increases demand for recycling of materials, but mostly the increased need for recycling has been driven by the global demand for materials and the cost of energy. Which means that waste plastic has a value…10 years ago it did not have value.

What new innovations/products/equipment has your company released or is working on that you would like to share?

Many innovations in this field we pioneer and then the world copies. One such major effort is to use lower hp to process waste materials resulting in a lower cost per ton processing cost, and to miniaturize big systems for lower processing rates while still solving the problem of durability of the equipment. In example to be able to process tires at 1 ton per hour vs 10 tons per hour and still achieve the same results in a mini-system.

Where do you see recycling going in the next 12 to 24 months and what do companies need to do to stay current and adapt to the changes that are happening in recycling?

We have been involved in the recycling field for over 50 years and have never seen a down year. Growth in recycling and the needs for recycling will continue to grow the needs of the world and for materials that recycling can offer.

To contact Dan Burda or the Shredder Maker family contact sales at (815) 674-5802 or sales@shredderhotline.com

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