Healthcare Waste is waste produced during human or animal healthcare, or related research activity, and covers both Clinical Waste and Offensive Waste as defined in the Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012[1] and further listed below. Helathcare Waste containing radioactive materials requirements compliance with specific guidance[2].

Picture of Healthcare Waste packaging from Herefordshire CGC report
Picture of Healthcare Waste packaging from Herefordshire CGC report


Clinical Waste

Clinical Waste is Healthcare Waste that:

  • contains viable micro-organisms or their toxins which are known or reliably believed to cause disease in humans or other living organisms
  • contains or is contaminated with a medicine that contains a biologically active pharmaceutical agent
    • Medicine is a drug or other preparation for the treatment or prevention of disease
    • Cytotoxic and cytostatic medicine is medicine that possesses hazardous properties which are toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction.
  • is a sharp, or a body fluid, or other biological material (including human and animal tissue), containing or contaminated with a hazardous substance
    • A sharp is an item that could cause cuts or puncture wounds. This includes needles, hypodermic needles, scalpels and other blades, knives, infusion sets, saws, broken glass, and nails.
  • is waste of a similar nature from a non-healthcare activity

Offensive Waste

Offensive Waste is:

Types of Healthcare Waste - Packaging Colour

The types of Healthcare Waste are grouped and designated by packaging colour, set out in high level guidance[3] updated and published by the EA in July 2020 for regulated facilities with an Environmental Permit to treat or transfer Healthcare Waste[4]. These groupings are set out in a table in the guidance, captured below:

Colour of Packaging: Orange
Appropriate healthcare waste management activities Storage, alternative treatment or incineration
Waste types and List of Waste (LoW) code(s) Infectious waste, not contaminated with chemicals or medicines
human healthcare (may contain sharps) - 18 01 03*
animal healthcare (may contain sharps) - 18 02 02*
municipal, separately collected fractions, not from healthcare or research-related sources (may contain sharps) - 20 01 99
commercial, separately collected fractions of absorbents, wiping cloths and protective clothing contaminated by infectious substances - 15 02 02
Colour of Packaging: Yellow
Appropriate healthcare waste management activities Storage and incineration
Waste types and List of Waste (LoW) code(s) Infectious waste, contaminated with chemicals:
human healthcare - 18 01 03* and 18 01 06* or 18 01 07
animal healthcare - 18 02 02* and 18 02 05* or 18 02 06
Infectious waste, medicinally contaminated (not cytotoxic or cytostatic):
human healthcare (may contain sharps) - 18 01 03* and 18 01 09
animal healthcare (may contain sharps) - 18 02 02* and 18 02 08
Colour of Packaging: Red
Appropriate healthcare waste management activities Storage and incineration
Waste types and List of Waste (LoW) code(s) Infectious anatomical waste, chemically preserved:
Human healthcare – 18 01 03* and 18 01 06* or 18 01 07
Animal healthcare – 18 02 02* and 18 02 05* or 18 02 06
Infectious anatomical waste, not chemically preserved:
Human healthcare – 18 01 03*
Animal healthcare – 18 02 02*
Non-infectious anatomical waste, chemically preserved:
Human healthcare - 18 01 02 and 18 01 06* or 18 01 07
Animal healthcare - 18 02 03 and 18 02 05* or 18 02 06
Non-infectious anatomical waste, not chemically preserved:
Human healthcare - 18 01 02
Animal healthcare - 18 02 03
Colour of Packaging: Purple
Appropriate healthcare waste management activities Storage and incineration
Waste types and List of Waste (LoW) code(s) Cytotoxic and cytostatic medicines:
Human healthcare – 18 01 08*
Animal healthcare – 18 02 07*
Infectious waste, contaminated with cytotoxic and cytostatic medicines:
Human healthcare (may contain sharps) - 18 01 03* and 18 01 08* or 20 01 31*
Animal healthcare (may contain sharps) - 18 02 02* and 18 02 07* or 20 01 31*
Colour of Packaging: Blue
Appropriate healthcare waste management activities Storage and incineration
Waste types and List of Waste (LoW) code(s) Other waste medicines, excluding cytotoxic and cytostatic medicines 18 01 09, 18 02 08 or 20 01 32
Colour of Packaging: Black and Yellow ('tiger bags')
Appropriate healthcare waste management activities Storage, incineration or landfill. Compaction, where specifically permitted.
Waste types and List of Waste (LoW) code(s) Non-infectious offensive waste:
Human healthcare – 18 01 04
Animal healthcare – 18 02 03
Municipal, separately collected fractions of absorbents, wiping cloths and protective clothing 15 02 03 not contaminated by infectious substances
Colour of Packaging: Not Specified
Appropriate healthcare waste management activities Storage, incineration or landfill. Compaction, where specifically permitted.
Waste types and List of Waste (LoW) code(s) Non-infectious offensive waste:
Human healthcare – 18 01 04
Animal healthcare – 18 02 03
Municipal, separately collected fractions of absorbents, wiping cloths and protective clothing 15 02 03 not contaminated by infectious substances

Healthcare Waste Treatment

Any treatment process must demonstrate that Clinical Waste is rendered safe'. This is by primary reference to the Healthcare Technical Memorandum 07-01 - Safe Management of Healthcare Waste[5]

References