Cost effectiveness. Convenience. Care for the environment. A Houston-based company delivers these with efficiency.

Nationwide dental distributor Benco Dental is now offering Sharps Compliance’s medical waste management products, the Dental Amalgam Recycling System and Sharps Recovery System. With over 20 years of experience, Sharps Compliance is a single-source nationwide leader in medical, hazardous, and pharmaceutical waste management services. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Sharps is a trusted provider of affordable, regulatory-compliant disposal solutions.

Medical waste mailback systems, which are ordered on an as-needed basis, are the most efficient method for medical waste disposal. Since every used syringe/needle needs to be disposed of in a sharps container, the mailback systems make this collection and disposal process very cost-effective and convenient for dentists. The Sharps Recovery System is an innovative system designed for simplified and environmentally-friendly treatment of used needles, syringes, and other regulated medical waste. The containers are offered in many sizes and configurations, ranging from 1-quart to 28-gallon.

It is important to dispose of amalgam correctly since it contains mercury. If dental amalgam is placed into the medical waste for disposal, it will end up in either an autoclave or an incinerator. Both of these disposal options result in the release of mercury vapors, which can be harmful to people and the environment. Several states have passed regulations, resulting in non-compliance for dentists who improperly disposal of amalgam. Amalgam can be handled either as hazardous waste and picked up or shipped to a hazardous waste disposal facility, or the dental office can recycle the amalgam. When the amalgam is recycled, the elemental mercury is extracted from the amalgam and reused in a number of different applications.

Sharps Compliance offers a Dental Amalgam Recycling System, available in 2- and 5-gallon sizes. It contains everything required to safely recycle dental amalgam and other dental waste, properly package it for shipping and return for recycling via UPS. Each system consists of an inner and an outer bucket. The inner pail is lined with a plastic bag for small amounts of amalgam-containing items that have come in contact with blood and saliva, sludge from filters, and teeth with amalgam. The outer pail can be used for safe recycling of other dental materials, such as lead foils, used lead aprons, non-contact amalgam (not contaminated with blood), containerized x-ray fixer, and old radiographs.