How to Dispose of X Ray Film

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: June 29, 2022

X-ray films are very useful and beneficial for making medical diagnoses, but you may be wondering what to do with yours months or even years down the road. Not only is it environmentally unfriendly to throw X-ray films in the trash, it’s actually illegal because of the sensitive and private medical information they may contain. Luckily, there are easy ways to properly dispose of X-ray films.^{[1]
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Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Recycling X-Ray Films

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Check with your doctor about whether you should keep your X-ray films. Before you do anything with your X-ray films, you should check with your doctor to see if it is important for you to keep them. There may be medical or legal reasons as to why you should hang on to them. Additionally, your doctor may be able to recycle them for you, ensuring that they were properly and legally disposed of.
- If your doctor does say that you should keep them, store them in an envelope in your filing cabinet or a safe location in your home.
2
Contact a hospital or radiology clinic to dispose of your X-ray films. Hospitals and radiology clinics will know how to dispose of X-ray films, and because they are bound by medical privacy laws, you can feel confident knowing that the films were disposed of properly. Reach out to a hospital or clinic near you to find out if they accept X-ray films for disposal.
- Some hospitals or clinics will require you to hand deliver the films or send them through the mail via certified letter, so be sure to find out how to best get the films to them.
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Contact your local council to see if they have a recycling program. Your city council or local government may have a recycling program or center that will accept old X-ray films that they can recycle to use any profits for government funding. They can also certify that the films were disposed of in accordance with the law.
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Choose an X-ray film recycling company to dispose of your films. There are companies who specialize in recycling X-ray films because they contain traces of silver, which can be extracted and is very valuable.^{[2]
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- Many companies will pick up your films for no charge and may even pay you for them!
- Search for a reputable company that will also provide you with a certificate of destruction that confirms the proper disposal of the X-ray films.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Repurposing X-Ray Films

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Use scissors to cut off any personal information from your X-ray films. If you decide you don’t want to recycle your X-ray films, but plan to use them for other purposes, be sure to remove any personal information that may be on them. This can include names, addresses, or any other identifying information.^{[3]
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- Even if the films are not yours, you must remove any personal information to protect the privacy of that person.
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Donate your X-ray films learning or creative purposes. You may be able to give your old X-ray films to people who can still use them. Check with local schools, daycares, universities, or other learning centers to see if they will accept your X-ray films. They can be of great use in a science classroom or even an art project!
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Use your old X-ray films as material for arts and crafts projects. The monochrome and holographic films can make for really interesting material for you to use for arts and crafts! And because X-ray films are non-toxic and safe to handle, you can use them just like you would any other crafting materials. Here are a few ideas:
- Cut out shapes like stars and hearts from the film, or animals, like a bat!
- Place the film over an image, trace the image, and cut out parts of the films to make great stencils that can be used multiple times.
- Frame the X-ray film and hang it on your wall.
- Make a spooky lampshade or a candle votive with your X-ray film!