The Toronto Hospital Shuts Down Incinerator

(March 24, 1997, Toronto) The end of an era is coming to The Toronto Hospital: it will no longer be in the business of incinerating biomedical waste on site.

The Hospital will effectively close the operation of its incinerator on Thursday, March 28, 1997.
In operation since 1976, the decision to decommission the incinerator was made last summer following numerous consultations with community representatives living near the incinerator, the successful completion of a demonstration project to test alternate incineration technology and a careful review of the financial costs of continuing to incinerate at the Hospital. "I am pleased that this day has finally come," says president Dr. Alan Hudson. "The operation of the incinerator has been a concern for the residents in the Kensington neighbourhood for years. We have heard their concerns and we have worked closely with the community to look for solutions."

The Toronto Hospital's incinerator was commissioned by the province in 1976 as a licensed facility for the disposal of biomedical waste, including pathological (anatomical) and cytotoxic (pharmaceutical) waste. It is located at The Toronto Hospital Western Division at Bathurst and Dundas streets.

The Hospital has slowly been decreasing the amount of biomedical waste incinerated over the past year. It stopped incinerating its own biomedical waste, excluding pathological and cytotoxic waste, in April of 1996. At the same time, it also ceased importing biomedical waste, excluding pathological and cytotoxic waste, from numerous contracts. The biomedical waste is now exported to an offsite facility for autoclaving. The Hospital continued to incinerate infectious biomedical waste in accordance with provincial legislation.

Since the decision to close the incinerator was made the Hospital has selected an outside carrier for the disposal of its biomedical waste.

For more information, contact Josey Panetta, Senior Media Relations Officer, The Toronto Hospital, (416) 340-3303.

Return to The Toronto Hospital Home Page