Hey, Curious305: Can I throw used COVID tests in the trash? What about hazardous waste?
Editor’s Note: This article was inspired by a question submitted from Miami Herald reader Marsha Cohen through Curious305, our community-powered reporting series that solicits questions from readers about Miami-Dade, Broward, the Florida Keys and the rest of the Sunshine State. Submit your question here or scroll down to fill out our form.
Hey, Curious305: What happens to used COVID at-home test kits? What are people supposed to do with their used swabs and other discarded kit components?
“You get a test, you get a test, everyone gets a test!”
No, Oprah didn’t say that. It’s part of the federal government’s new strategy to handle the more contagious omicron variant, which has become the dominant strain in the U.S., including in Miami-Dade.
And if you live in South Florida, you might already have some test kits at home thanks to the giveaways from Miami-Dade and Broward counties during the holidays to help meet a surge of demand that left test sites gridlocked and retailers sold out of kits.
Yup, that’s a lot of swabs.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says laboratories and test sites should treat all waste related to COVID-19 testing of both suspected and confirmed specimens and kit components as “biohazardous waste,” also known as biomedical or infectious waste.
Every state has its own rules on how facilities should treat and dispose infectious waste, such as blood, poop and other body fluids like saliva, nasal discharge and urine. Florida regulates biomedical waste — like diabetic and wound care supplies and COVID-19 tests — based on volume, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Places like hospitals, doctor offices and COVID testing sites that produce more than 25 pounds of biomedical waste within 30-day periods are required to get a permit and use approved disposal facilities, according to the department.
What if you’re using an at-home test?
Don’t worry. It’s not complicated. The CDC told the Miami Herald that at-home test kits can be thrown out with your normal trash “and are not considered biohazardous waste.” The health agency didn’t explain why.
Florida doesn’t regulate household hazardous waste, such as paint, household cleaners and pesticides, though it does have guidelines on how to properly dispose certain home biomedical waste, such as needles, syringes with needles and diagnostic lancets. Some counties like Miami-Dade and Broward have collection centers people can visit to dispose needles and all counties have sites people can dispose hazardous waste, including chemicals and certain electronics.
However, the state doesn’t seem to have any specific at-home COVID test disposal guidelines.
If you want to be extra careful, you could double-bag your trash and use a goose-neck or single knot (no bunny ear knots) to secure it.
You should also check the instructions that came with the test in case the manufacturer has any additional guidance. For example, Abbott says you can recycle the box of its BinaxNOW at-home test (this is the kit Miami-Dade and Broward gave away) but you should dispose the test card, nasal swab and test solution in the trash.
And regardless of which test you take, once you’re done, make sure to clean and disinfect all surfaces that the swab, tube and other parts of the kit touched, the CDC said.
Wash your hands, too.
