Rapid antigen tests are considered hazardous waste, so why do we throw them in the trash?

Thestar.ca
Jan. 12, 2022

Did you know that rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 are considered hazardous waste?

According to Abbott Laboratories, the makers of one common test available in Canada, these tests contain a few different chemicals, including sodium chloride (salt), sodium azide, Tween 20 and ProClin 300.

If taken at home, these tests are considered home health-care waste and the Region of Peel advises residents to place them in a tied bag before disposing in the garbage can.

“The buffer solution in the rapid test kits is what is considered hazardous and in small quantities and concentrations that are in the individual rapid test kits are safe to put into the garbage,” said members of the Region of Peel’s waste management division. “The guidelines differ for businesses because they would be disposing of much larger quantities of test kits and the buffer solutions would then be at a larger concentration that would then be considered and have to be dealt with appropriately.”

Sodium azide is a chemical compound that’s used as a preservative and is toxic. Tween 20 is a polysorbate that’s used as an emulsifying agent and ProClin 300 eradicates bacteria.

The government of Ontario has different protocols for businesses and larger settings using greater amounts of tests on a regular basis. There are special exemptions for businesses taking part in the Provincial Antigen Screening program.

Larger quantities of these tests are to be disposed of at a hazardous waste disposal site, including approved biomedical waste facilities run by Stericycle, Octagon Medical Services Ltd., and Daniels Sharpsmart Canada Ltd.