BFI will either autoclave or microwave some of the waste to ready it for a landfill and will ship the remainder out of state for incineration. Until 1990, most medical waste in this country was burned in one of about 2,400 medical-waste incinerators scattered throughout 42 states. California had 146 medical-waste incinerators. Since medical waste regulations were enacted at the beginning of this decade, that number has dropped to fewer than a dozen statewide. Although a more expensive process, it may also be sterilized through autoclave or microwave technology, then sent to a landfill.
Clinics can include dozens of doctors, dentists or veterinarians, each listed separately.
Sometimes all three are listed in the Santa Cruz database of generators, each with a different code. However, creating fewer than 20 pounds a month of medical waste for a large clinic might not be that difficult because of the hazy definition of medical waste. In search of some clarity, I check back with Schott in Sacramento. Schott explains that, indeed, there is a fair amount of personal interpretation involved in defining infectious waste, now known officially as biohazard waste. This open interpretation has contributed to a situation in which the majority of medical-waste generators fall under the least amount of scrutiny.