On June 11, MRN Board Member and past president
Kitty McIlroy and
Shannon McDonald, Director of the Waste Diversion Division at the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), joined regional and national experts as panelists at the joint
Healthcare Waste Institute (HWI)/National Waste and Recycling Association (NWRA) Summer Summit in Washington, D.C.
HWI, part of
NWRA, represents healthcare waste industry stakeholders including transporters, treatment facilities, suppliers, consultants, and legal firms, and regularly engages with regulators on policy issues.
The member-focused Summit addresses healthcare waste priorities through policy updates, discussion, and collaboration across the waste management sector. Attendees included regulators and professionals who manage regulated medical waste from commercial generators such as hospitals, clinics, and urgent care facilities, where these devices may be discarded by patients, families, or the facilities themselves.
This year’s discussions focused on the growing
disposal challenges posed by vapes and medical devices with embedded batteries, sharps, and residual medications, which can create fire risks, complicate safe disassembly and recycling, and trigger overlapping medical and hazardous waste requirements. Panelists and attendees examined these operational and regulatory barriers while beginning to explore policy solutions to improve management of these complex waste streams.
The first panel,
The Growth of Vaping Devices/Medical Devices with Batteries as a Disposal Concern, explored current challenges and potential management or policy innovations for vapes, medical devices, and other products with embedded batteries.
As a panelist,
McIlroy offered her perspectives as a waste generator, recycler, and policy advocate through her roles with the Authority, Maryland Recycling Network, Maryland’s Commission to Advance Lithium-Ion Battery Safety, EPA battery and electronics workgroups, and SWANA’s Lithium-Ion Battery Workgroup.
She was joined by
Justin Palmer, VP, Public Policy & External Affairs, District of Columbia Hospital Association;
Stephanie Weeks, Senor Product Portfolio Manager, The Battery Network;
Rob Motl, National Sales Director, Healthcare, Reworld Waste; and
Angie Martin, Senior Vice President, Environmental Programs, Arcwood Environmental
A second panel,
Options for Disposal of Vaping Devices/Medical Devices with Batteries, addressed transportation, disposal requirements, guidance, and held a Q&A on these complex waste streams.
McDonald spoke on behalf of The Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (ASTSWMO).
She was joined by
Kristin Fitgerald, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Resource Conservation & Recovery;
Joseph Boudah, Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE), Washington D.C.; and
Amy Scaffidi, Investigator at New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Hazardous Waste/Regulated Medical Waste Compliance and Enforcement.
Thank you to both Kitty McIlroy and Shannon McDonald for sharing their expertise and insights.
Read more about the summit in WasteDive.