What Are Solmetex’s Waste Buckets?
With all of the information out there about the more expensive or seemingly more important products used in the industry, some products get pushed to the wayside. There are some aspects of the work that may get thrown to the side because they seem unimportant, but the truth is, every step in sterilization, infection prevention, or anything in that vein is equally important. This includes one that we don’t see talked about nearly enough: proper disposal and recycling.
Have you ever been in a doctor’s office and seen that bright red container with the glaring biohazard symbol that the doctor throws their gloves into? Have you ever actually considered what all that container really holds? That’s what we’d like to talk about today, and we’re doing it with Solmetex. Solmetex has a number of proper waste disposal buckets who’s use doesn’t get talked about enough.
So in this article, we’d like to talk about Solmetex’s waste buckets, specifically their Sharps/Biohazard, Lead, and Amalgam buckets. We’ll go over what can go in them, as well as tell you why each one of these disposal buckets is so important.
Solmetex’s Lead Apron and Lead Foil Buckets
These are Solmetex’s buckets for lead-contained waste. This includes your standard fare of lead-based items used in medical or dental practices. These buckets help prevent lead from entering the standard waste stream, as lead can lead to many problems if not disposed of properly.
Lead deposited in landfills can dissolve over time and create a toxic aftereffect, in the form of a liquid called leachate. Leachate can enter soil, polluting the environment, and even make its way into the groundwater, contaminating the water supply. Lead that gets put into an incinerator however, get’s burned and evaporated into toxic gas, creating an equally hazardous effect in the air.
So, Solmetex came up with solutions to help combat these side-effects.
Solmetex’s Lead Foil bucket is meant to dispose of certain lead-based items, like:
- Lead waste & lead foil
- Bitewing x-ray
- Sterilization tape
Whereas Solmetex’s Lead Apron disposal bucket are only meant for one thing:
- Lead Aprons
These lead aprons are used for protection for patients and staff against x-rays. And their proper disposal is required because of the harmful effects of lead, but also because they’re taken to specialists that can recycle the lead material and ensure it doesn’t end up where it’s not supposed to be.
Solmetex’s Biohazard/Sharps Waste Bucket
Solmetex’s Biohazard/Sharps bucket is a red, rigid, puncture-resistant plastic container marked with a biohazard emblem. This container is used to help prevent sharps
injuries, as well as keeping any items used on patients that could present a contamination risk in a properly marked container for appropriate disposal.
Items that can be disposed of in the biohazard / sharps container are:
- Used needles and syringes
- Scalpel blades
- Sponges
- Gloves
- Towels
- Bandages and Gauze
- Bibs
What is Dental Amalgam?
To better understand the next item, Solmetex’s amalgam bucket, let’s look at what dental amalgam actually is.
Amalgam is a word that just means a mixture, which in chemistry and dentistry, is exactly that. But specifically, dental amalgam is the mixture that was originally used in silver fillings for cavities. It’s a very durable and long lasting mixture comprised of a few different powdered metals combined with liquid mercury.
Dental amalgam is usually around 50% mercury and the other 50% is powdered metal mix made up of: silver, tin and copper. It was always known for its inexpensive nature and durability. But the downside is that mercury being put into the wastewater and subsequently, the environment along with the other metals, goes against strict waste rules. So specialized waste procedures, including containment, are why amalgam buckets exist.
Solmetex’s Amalgam Waste Bucket
This is Solmetex’s Amalgam Waste bucket. A blue-topped, white bucket meant for the disposal of dental amalgam and other mercury-contained items. It’s not just amalgam-filled teeth, these buckets are meant to be a proper storage container for many other things that also come into contact with mercury. The amalgam waste bucket also meets all requirements of the EPA’s “Dental Rule”.
The “dental rule,” or more specifically, the Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Dental Category, was put in place to significantly reduce the discharge of mercury from dental offices into municipal sewage treatment plants.
One key point of this rule is that nearly all dental offices must install, operate, and maintain one or more ANSI/ADA or ISO certified amalgam separators to capture amalgam particles from the wastewater system.
For the Recycling of:
- Chair-side traps
- Vacuum Filters
- Teeth with Amalgam
- Spent Amalgam Capsules
- Contact & Non-Contact Amalgam
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, it’s easy to focus only on expensive medical equipment and complex sterilization procedures, but the final, often-overlooked step—proper disposal and recycling—is equally crucial.
The specialized Solmetex buckets for Sharps/Biohazard, Lead, and Amalgam are far more than just trash cans; they are vital tools for safety and compliance. These containers protect staff from contaminated needles, prevent highly toxic lead from polluting our water and air, and ensure amalgam mercury is recycled to meet the stringent EPA Dental Rule.
Ultimately, these systems show that every step of the infection control process is important, all the way up to the method of disposal at the end of it all. So if you have any questions about Solmetex’s various waste buckets or anything else, give us a call at 704-966-1650, and we can help you find what you need.
As always if you have any questions about this process or anything else please feel free to contact us and take advantage of our “FREE TECH SUPPORT.”
We also offer FREE VIRTUAL TECH SUPPORT to “See and Talk” with a “Real Time Live Technician” for any problems you may be in need of help with.
You can also use our “FREE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM”. Take the guesswork and worrying about what unit is due for maintenance and which maintenance cycle it is time for. We will keep track of all your autoclaves and let you know when it’s time for anything.
You can find more info on the Solmetex Amalgam Waste Bucket on our site here. →
You can find more info on the Solmetex Lead Waste Buckets on our site here. →
You can find more info on the Solmetex Biohazard/Sharps Waste Bucket on our site here. →