Stericycle was founded on the belief that there was a need for safe and environmentally responsible management of regulated wastes.
Environmental Responsibility
Stericycle is committed to protecting the environment. We use our knowledge to develop the most environmental friendly services for our customers and willingly share our environmental expertise with them.
Our Sharps Management Service featuring Bio Systems re-usable containers has prevented over 73 million plastic containers from ending up in landfills. Our Pharmaceutical Waste Compliance programs help hundreds of hospitals, medical offices, pharmacies and pharmaceutical manufacturers properly dispose of drugs so that they don't end up in lakes and streams.
From our beginning, we have championed the use of non-incineration treatment technologies. We are helping more and more customers properly segregate their waste streams, which reduces the need for incineration. We have been able to close many of our incinerator facilities, and have helped hundreds of customers shut down their on-site incinerators. Currently, about 10% of Stericycle's U.S. treatment capacity includes incineration, down from more than 30% in 2001.
We developed a patented Electro Thermal Deactivation (ETD) treatment system that is safe and clean and helps to protect the environment. The ETD process uses an oscillating field of low-frequency radio waves to heat the waste to temperatures that destroy pathogens without melting any plastic content. The ETD process doesn't produce regulated air or water emissions, and it also reduces waste volume. In 2007 & 2008 our Yorkville, WI ETD facility was recognized by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as a Green Tier participant for environmental excellence.