Healthcare Waste
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].
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:
- is not clinical waste
- contains body fluids, secretions or excretions
- falls within EWC waste codes 18 01 04, 18 02 03 or 20 01 99
Types of Healthcare Waste
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. 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 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 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 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 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 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 not contaminated by infectious substances – 15 02 03 |
| Colour of Packaging: Not Specified |
| Appropriate healthcare waste management activities
Storage, incineration or landfill. Compaction, where specifically permitted. Waste Types and 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 not contaminated by infectious substances – 15 02 03 |