How is amalgam waste from dental offices disposed of ?
Vermont requires all dentists to collect amalgam waste before it goes down the drain, using amalgam separators. The Dental Best Management Practices (BMPs) require all dental practices to self-certify for compliance with the requirements by January 31, 2007. Proper handling of dental amalgam waste and other hazardous wastes are also required under the BMPs, and will lead to a significant decrease in amalgam/mercury waste releases into wastewater treatment plants and systems. For the past ten years, the Vermont Dental Society and Vermont’s dental community have advocated for and implemented BMPs to reduce the amount of mercury waste from amalgam released into the environment. Their efforts included educational materials, elemental mercury collection programs for dentists, collaboration with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation on dentist surveys, and development of the self-certification program for the dental BMPs.
