The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) works to ensure waste materials are reduced, reused, recycled, or disposed of properly, in order to protect the public health and the environment.
CalRecycle has many strategies to assist California businesses, communities, schools, cities, and counties reduce the amount of waste they generate according to product material type or industry sector. Check out the CalRecycle website and/or contact the CalRecycle Health Care Team for more information.
The team’s goal is to help establish a statewide infrastructure of sustainable waste reduction, reuse, and recycling programs for the health care industry. The team explores how to reduce the amount of waste generated at a facility, and suggests customized source reduction and recycling efforts.
Program News and Activities…
- Contact the California Department of Public Health for information on how to properly dispose of materials when treating patients with an infectious disease.
Key Players
One of the main components to starting or expanding waste reduction and recycling programs is to bring together key players that can contribute to the development or expansion of your sustainable waste management programs:
- Health care industry workers
- Local jurisdiction contacts
- City/County Public Works Department representatives
- Hauling company representatives
- Recycling and collection service vendors
- Supplier representatives (companies from which you purchase goods)
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I get started reducing, reusing and recycling my hospital waste?
- What do I do with the various material types generated in the hospital?
- What do I do with organics and food waste?
- Where can I get information on Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling?
- Are case studies available?
- Where can I get additional resources?
- Where can I get a sample environmental preferable purchasing policy?
- Where can I get a sample environmental policy?
- Whom do I contact regarding hazardous wastes from industrial chemicals, computer monitors, and other items?
For more information contact: Health Care Waste Reduction and Recycling, HealthCareWRR@calrecycle.ca.gov