Photo: Courtesy

Infectious waste

Waste contaminated with blood and other bodily fluids (from discarded diagnostic samples), cultures and stocks of infectious agents from laboratory work (waste from autopsies and infected animals from laboratories), or waste from patients in isolation wards and equipment (swabs, bandages and disposable medical devices).

Pathological waste

Human tissues, organs or fluids, body parts and contaminated animal carcasses.

Sharps

Syringes, needles, disposable scalpels and blades.

Chemicals

Solvents used for laboratory preparations, disinfectants, and heavy metals contained in medical devices (e.g. mercury in broken thermometers) and batteries.

Pharmaceuticals

Expired, unused and contaminated drugs and vaccines.

Genotoxic waste

Highly hazardous, mutagenic, teratogenic 1 or carcinogenic such as cytotoxic drugs used in cancer treatment and their metabolites.

Radioactive waste

Such as products contaminated by radionuclides including radioactive diagnostic material or radio therapeutic materials.

Non-hazardous or general waste

Waste that does not pose any particular biological, chemical, radioactive or physical hazard.