For over 20 years Ecocycle has been collecting and recycling the mercury from dental amalgam waste and to us, it’s more than just a job.
Each year an average Australian dental surgery produces around 1kg of amalgam waste containing about 500g of mercury metal. It takes just one gram of mercury to contaminate a billion litres of water, so you can understand why we are keen to ensure that all dental amalgam waste is properly recycled.
From the dentist’s point of view, the whole process couldn’t be easier.
It All Starts With One Quick Phone Call
- Your dental clinic gets in touch with one of our dental consultants over the phone and we can work out the perfect solution to suit your unique needs. If necessary, your dental consultant can even visit your clinic. With amalgam separators to suit every dental chair, plumbing and suction systems, we are yet to find a dental surgery that we couldn’t fit.
- Most dental surgeries only need one or two separators, and once the specialist has identified your needs you will be provided with a simple quote.
- Your separators will be installed within two days of placing your order. Installation can be as quick as an hour, and can either be installed by your own practice serviceman or one of our own technicians. We will arrange a time that minimises disruption to your surgery’s routine (before or after surgery hours, during a lunch break or when there are no appointments). The technician will phone up when he’s on his way and once installed, will run a check that everything is working as it should.
- From there it’s business as usual for you and your patients. The amalgam separators are usually placed out of sight within a cupboard, suction room or outside. Aside from the warm glow of knowing you are doing the best for the environment, you’ll forget that it’s even there. Gravity does all the work of separating the dental amalgam from the wastewater so there are no electrical connection or moving parts.
- Once a year we will book a time around your schedule to swap your amalgam separator for a clean one. This only takes about 15 minutes, and again a time will be arranged that suits your routine.
What Happens To The Amalgam?
Once collected, your amalgam separator comes back to our purpose-built, fully EPA licensed facilities where the dental amalgam waste is removed and the separators cleaned and sanitised for re-use.
The amalgam goes into a distiller and high-purity mercury comes out. This mercury goes back to the industry to create a truly closed recycling loop. The residue from the distiller goes through a further recycling process to recover silver for reuse.
It Really Is That Easy
As you see, it really is easy to step up to more responsible dental amalgam disposal. And don’t forget the new immediate small business tax deduction for equipment costing less than $20,000 (our amalgam separators cost significantly less than that). You will also be gaining a head start on the Minamata Convention, which will impose tighter controls on amalgam waste disposal soon.
Already Have A Separator?
If you already have an amalgam separator in your chair or clinic we can service your unit as well. We service ALL brands of amalgam separators, including Cattani, Metasys, Durr, William Green and Sirona.
Get Started Today
Call 1300 32 62 92 or fill out the form below and speak with one of our dental consultants today:
