Six New Years Resolutions for 2026

For the New Year, we set new personal goals, striving for success and meaningful change. Why shouldn’t your healthcare facility do the same?

In 2026, Daniels Health celebrates a significant milestone, our 40th year! Across our 40 years we have learned that continuous improvement in safety, efficiency and patient care is non-negotiable.

Now, our main goal is to ensure your facility experiences uninterrupted healthcare in 2026.

Follow these six resolutions to support improved healthcare waste disposal.

THE 6 RESOLUTIONS:

Resolution #1 “Right Size” Regulated Medical Waste Bins

The correct bin size for regulated medical waste is an area often overlooked. Bins that are too big can lead to wasted space, unnecessary spending, increased compliance risks and staff injury risks. On the other hand, bins that are too small can disrupt hospital workflows and lead to issues like overfilling or running out of room too quickly.

The right-size RMW bin keeps hospital workflows efficient and supports safer waste handling at the point of care. Daniels Health experts help facilities achieve their “just right” bins by performing specialized department audits. Because a facility’s waste management program will be unique to its volume and needs.

Read our Goldilocks blog to learn more about choosing a bin that is not too big, not too small, but just right.

Resolution #2: Utilize Safety Accessories

Accessories might seem small, but understanding and utilizing them is an effective way for a facility to run smoothly. The right bracket, stand or mobility option does more than just hold a container or bin. They increase point-of-care disposal, reduce possible spillage, keep containers off the floor and support infection prevention. Just imagine, when staff can reach the right container at the right moment, workflows become immediately safer.

Failing to properly secure and position containers is one of the most common ways facilities become non-compliant. This year, review the accessories you use or should be adding in 2026.

See how sidekick accessories help your facility’s superheroes.

Resolution #3: Achieve Seamless Installation and Deployment

Switching waste providers might seem daunting, but a strategic deployment plan is the key to having a smooth transition.

A great partnership involves more than just dropping off medical waste bins and containers. It requires onsite assessments to blueprint a solution that fits every facility’s specific volume and workflow needs. When a team manages the transition from removing old equipment to educating staff, it ensures patient care continues without disruption. Proper deployment is the only way to guarantee that your facility remains fully compliant from day one.

At Daniels Health, we promise healthcare uninterrupted. Meaning, we integrate our solutions to ensure every team is supported and educated from the moment a facility thinks of choosing us for their waste management provider.

Read about our installation process or watch the video below to see it in action.

Resolution #4: Pass the “Candy Test”

Container safety should always be a priority and the “Candy Test” is an easy way to measure it. Meaning, if a child were to drop a piece of candy into a sharps container, could their small hands reach inside to retrieve it?

Unfortunately, many standard containers fail this test due to open-access tops, increasing the risk of needlestick injuries for both staff and patients.

Our Sharpsmart is designed with a gravity-balanced safety tray that restricts hand access entirely. This mechanism ensures that once an item is disposed of it cannot be retrieved. So, it passes the “Candy Test.” It is vital that your sharps containers pass the “Candy Test,” for needlestick safety

See how this method helps evaluate your facility’s safety standards.

Resolution #5: Make Sure Your Data Goes to Waste

Verifiable data is the only reliable method for proving the efficiency of your waste program. This means capturing specific details like container weights, fill levels and exchange frequencies rather than just accepting a total weight on a bill.

At Daniels, we scan and weigh each container to track your performance against national benchmarks and provide recommendations that reduce costs. Our approach allows you to rely on actionable data to make smart waste management choices that save money. In 2026, it is important that your program has specific measurable and data that can back it up.

More information on letting you data go to waste.

Resolution #6: Boost the Culture of Infection Prevention

Creating a secure healthcare environment requires more than just adhering to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines or checking compliance boxes. It demands a team-based approach where every staff member plays a role, not just Infection Preventionists. Instead, it needs active leadership support, continuous education and a non-punitive environment where staff feel empowered to report risks. When infection prevention becomes a shared value, outcomes improve across the full spectrum of care.

Failing to foster this mindset, both workers and patients remain vulnerable to preventable pathogens. Daniels Health can help educate and support this cultural shift within your facilities’ four walls during the new year.

Discover more on the importance of infection prevention culture. 

Make 2026 Your Year

These six resolutions are a blueprint to creating a safer, more compliant and measurably more efficient healthcare environment. The path to achieving these goals from right-sizing your bins to fostering a culture of infection prevention requires a committed team of experts.

Daniels Health is dedicated to your facility meeting every objective on this list. Stop settling for just acceptable waste management.

Start 2026 with a partner and plan that is proven to deliver healthcare uninterrupted.