Biohazard Waste Disposal Nationwide

Solid Waste

Non-sharps items contaminated with blood or OPIMs such as contaminated gloves and PPE, cultures and stocks, or blood tubing.

Liquid Waste

Liquid items like blood or blood products and body fluids contaminated with blood.

Sharps Waste

Sharps materials or devices that are capable of piercing skin that has been in contact with potentially infectious biological material.

Pathological Waste

Any unfixed human organs, tissues, or body parts (excluding teeth) that are deemed a biological risk such as human tissue, contaminated animal carcasses, and organs.

Biohazardous Waste

Any waste which has been contaminated with blood or other potentially infectious materials.

Blood and blood products

Such as waste blood, body fluids contaminated with animal or human blood, and any materials that come into contact with blood.

Cultures or Stocks of infectious agents

Such as materials that may have come into contact with bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens in a laboratory setting.

Equipment

Such as gloves and gowns that came into contact with potentially infectious agents.

Sharps Waste

Any medical device or material that can pierce the skin and contains potentially infectious materials.

Needles

Syringes

Scalpels

Pathological Waste

Any tissues, organs, body parts, or materials involved in surgery, autopsy, and other medical procedures.

Animal or human tissues

Organs

Human or animal body parts

Biohazard waste container:

Rigid, leak proof, has tight fitting covers, and is kept in good condition. Labeled with the biohazard symbol and the words "BIOHAZARD" on the lid and both sides.

Pathology waste container

Rigid, leak proof, has tight fitting covers, and is kept in good condition. Labeled with the biohazard symbol and the words "PATH" or "Pathology Waste" on the lid and both sides. Only pathological waste should go into this container.

Sharps containers:

Puncture resistant, sealable, and labeled as "sharps waste" with the international biohazard symbol. Should have a 3/4ths fill line and be sealed for disposal once this line is reached. A sharps container ensures that needles and other sharps waste don't poke through red bags and harm healthcare workers or waste workers.

Incineration

Incinerating medical waste is a common method which involves burning the medical waste at extremely high temperatures, reducing the waste to just gases and ashes. The process involves heating the waste to 800 to 1200 degrees Celsius to destroy all infectious agents.

Autoclave

Autoclaving medical waste is another common method for treating biohazardous waste. This process involves placing the waste in a chamber and killing biological materials using high heat steam and pressure.

Microwave

Medical waste is shredded and then sterilized using electromagnetic waves. It is shredded into very small pieces and then disinfected by electromagnetic waves for around one hour until all potentially infectious materials are gone.