The MPW Totes program available for the NIH animal facilities, allows them to collect a much larger volume of medical pathological waste. The larger collection reduces the frequency of waste collection pickups. In addition, this program provides cost savings to the institute through the elimination of MPW box purchases and cost savings for incineration via reduced MPW weight. The MPW totes program is most beneficial for Institutes and locations that produce 50 boxes or more per month.
The following example below provides the overall cost savings for implementing 4 MPW totes in lieu of 100 MPW boxes per month.
Operational Savings per month:
- $473.51/month in purchasing costs to use 4 MPW totes instead of 100 MPW boxes.
- $85.40/month in disposal costs to use 4 MPW totes instead of 100 MPW boxes.
- $6,706.92 in total in savings per year.
Cost to Purchase 4 MPW Totes (life span is roughly 7 years, cost per tote is $808.32):
Cost Savings total per year, while opting to use 4 MPW totes instead of 100 MPW boxes:
- Year 1: $3,473.64
- Years 2-7: $6,706.92 per year
- Over a 7-year period total cost savings: $43,715.16
The above calculated cost is an example and cost savings will differ depending upon the number of totes required to meet your MPW generation. If you are interested in the program, please contact DEP for more information and to have a site assessment completed to ensure that your location meets the criteria needed to implement the MPW totes program.