Guidance Vaccine Disposal DWM-SWS,20210602

ROY COOPER
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Governor
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ELIZABETH S. BISER
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Secretary
MICHAEL SCOTT
NORTH CAROLINA
Director
Environmental Quality
Vaccine Disposal Guidance
Division of Waste Management
Solid Waste Section
Website: NC DEQ: Medical Waste Phone: [phone]
Disposal of unused and expired vaccines in municipal solid waste landfills within the State of North
Carolina is permissible when the generating facility does the following:
Contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding vaccine disposal guidance. The
generating facility shall follow CDC guidance.
2. Contact the vaccine manufacturer regarding its vaccine take -back procedure. If the manufacturer
has a vaccine take -back program, the generating facility shall send unused and expired vials of
vaccines back to the manufacturer.
Contact the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health
- Immunization Branch regarding its vaccine disposal procedure at 919-707-5550 or at
imminfDkdhhs.nc.gov. More information can be found at: hitps:Himmunize.nc.gov/.
4. If unused and expired vaccines are to be disposed, the Division of Waste Management - Solid
Waste Section provides the following guidance:
a. Vials of vaccines should be disposed of frequently as to not create stockpiles in need of disposal.
b. The generating facility should obtain preapproval from the municipal solid waste landfill prior
to transporting stockpiles of vials of vaccines for disposal. The generating facility shall follow
municipal solid waste landfill disposal facility procedure(s).
c. The generating facility shall ensure that vaccines are nonhazardous and noninfectious and that
vaccines are not a controlled substance prior to disposal. The vaccine safety data sheet shall be
made available to the disposal facility upon request.
d. The generating facility shall place broken vials containing vaccines and unused syringes with
attached needles containing vaccines in a container that is rigid, leak -proof when in an upright
position, and puncture -resistant. The container may be disposed of in a municipal solid waste
landfill or treated prior to disposal, if required.
e. The generating facility should place unused plastic syringes without attached needles
containing vaccines in a container that is rigid, leak -proof when in an upright position, and
puncture -resistant. The container may be disposed of in a municipal solid waste landfill or
treated prior to disposal, if required.
DWM — SWS
June 2, 2021
D E Q�� North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Waste Management
-
217 West Jones Street 1 1646 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1646
NORTH CAROLINA
oeParonemmrnrironmemaiouai� � 919.707.8200