In the world of biomedical waste pick up, many people are becoming wary of monthly service charges. However, the problematic issue does not lie with a monthly service charge itself. It's the combination of being locked into medical waste contracts and being charged exorbitant monthly fees. With that in mind, medical facilities and doctors' offices don't necessarily need to avoid monthly fees. They just need to ensure those monthly fees meet certain requirements.

Why Monthly Medical Waste Service Contracts Are Not Always a Good Option

Pay for What You Need

A medical waste management company might have one-price-fits-all services. This basically means that no matter how much waste a particular doctor's office creates, that office still has to pay the established monthly fee. Because small offices and large facilities are charged the same amount, the system lends itself to overcharging everyone—and small offices are hit the hardest.

The vastly preferential system for waste management is just paying for what you need. It doesn't necessarily matter how that fee is assessed (either per box of biohazardous material picked up or through a monthly fee). So long as you're only getting charged for what you use and need, the service remains valuable.

Avoid Extra Services

When paying a large contract-based monthly fee, there are often other services bundled into that fee to justify the cost. These medical waste management contracts can include things such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training, sensitive document destruction, biomedical waste pickup, and more.

While all those extra services are useful, not all doctors' offices or medical facilities require every one. It simply doesn't make sense to be paying a monthly fee that incorporates charges for unneeded services.

What Are the Alternatives?

Until recently, there were few (to no) alternatives to the bloated contracts of waste management companies. In recent years, though, several alternative providers have emerged, but medical facilities are still largely unaware of them.

What makes these new services different? First, they often do away with contracts, so you're not locked in or hit with exorbitant early termination fees. Second, you aren't obligated to sign up for all services offered. If you only want two services (hazardous waste pickup and sensitive document destruction, for example), you only have to pay for those two services. You aren't required to pay for OSHA compliance training if you don't need it.

Many of these new companies are full-service waste management companies, which means they are equipped to offer the full range of services. Even if you don't think your office or facility requires a full-service waste management company, it's smart to sign up with one. That way you just pay for the services you need, but if you ever need to add services down the line, you'll already be using a company you know and trust that can provide that additional work.

As another alternative, some waste management companies just charge a flat rate per box of waste picked up. In this system you pay one flat fee for every box of waste you generate.

For more information about what the most cost-effective service plan would be for your doctor's office or medical facility, please contact a representative of MCF Environmental Services, a waste management Atlanta GA company