Table 1.

Categories of healthcare waste.

Waste Categories	Descriptions and Examples
Hazardous HCW
Sharps waste	Used or unused sharps, e.g., intravenous, hypodermic or other needles, syringes with attached needles, auto-disable syringes, infusion sets, scalpels, knives, blades, pipettes, broken glass and vials
Infectious waste	Waste suspected of containing pathogens and presenting a risk of disease transmission, e.g., laboratory culture and microbiological stocks, waste contaminated with blood and other body fluids, waste including excreta and other materials that have been in contact with infected patients with highly infectious diseases in isolated wards
Pathological waste	Human and animal organs, tissues or fluids, body parts, fetuses, placentas, unused blood products, contaminated animal carcasses
Pharmaceutical waste	Expired pharmaceuticals, unused, contaminated vaccines and drugs, items contaminated by or containing pharmaceuticals
Cytotoxic waste	Waste containing substances with genotoxic properties (mutagenic, carcinogenic or teratogenic substances), e.g., cytotoxic drugs used in cancer therapy and their metabolites
Chemical waste	Waste containing chemicals, e.g., expired or unused disinfectants or laboratory reagents, unused, solvents, waste with high heavy metal content, such as batteries, blood pressure gauges, mercury-containing equipment and devices (e.g., old thermometers)
Radioactive waste	Waste containing radioactives, e.g., unused radiotherapy liquids, radioactive diagnostic material, contaminated packages, absorbent paper or glassware, urine and excreta from patients tested or treated with radionuclides, radioactive sealed sources
Non-hazardous or general HCW	Waste, which does not pose any particular biological, chemical, physical or radioactive hazard