Medical Waste 101: What Are the Different Types of Medical Waste?

All healthcare workers will be familiar with the challenge of sorting and disposing of medical waste. This task comes with high stakes—improper disposal has a variety of consequences, such as increased health risks, like needlestick injuries, and a negative environmental impact. At Daniels Health, we are committed to helping healthcare facilities manage their medical waste confidently, compliantly and efficiently.

In this article, we’ll delve into the different types of medical waste and how to keep your employees safe when handling and disposing of it. This information will help you ensure compliant medical waste management in your facility.

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What Is Regulated Medical Waste?

Regulated medical waste (RMW) also known as biomedical or biohazardous waste, refers to non-hazardous wastes that are potentially infectious in nature. RMW refers to any waste that could put human health or the environment at risk by spreading harmful microorganisms. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines RMW as items that have been in contact with blood components, bodily fluids and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM).

RMW poses a risk of infection and the spread of diseases to the handler. Therefore, it must be placed in regulated medical waste containers that comply with government guidelines.

Ensuring Proper Classification of Healthcare Waste

Governments and state agencies provide frameworks for disposing of different types of hospital waste. However, it’s ultimately up to facilities to understand the different types and categories of medical waste.

Keeping up with frequently updated state and federal regulations is a common hurdle, requiring facilities to dedicate resources to ensure they are aware of government and state definitions and guidelines to ensure compliance.

We recommend implementing engaging training programs on the disposal of different medical waste types to educate and protect healthcare workers. You can start with our free waste segregation brochure, which outlines the correct containers and contents for regulated medical waste disposal. However, it’s extremely important to note that this is a general example of a waste segregation poster. Not only do waste definitions vary by state, but often individual hospitals will have their own definitions of waste streams that go above and beyond state requirements.

VIEW STATE REGULATIONS

Categories of Medical Waste

The different types of medical waste are categorized as:

• Regulated medical waste
• Infectious waste
• Biohazardous waste

Guidelines will vary from state to state, depending on their definition of “infectious”. Some states will adopt the definitions found in federal guidelines, like those from the EPA, OSHA and DOT. However, it’s important to research your state’s guidelines to ensure compliance for each category of biomedical waste.

Navigate our map to better understand the medical waste regulations that govern your state of jurisdiction.

What are the Different Types of Medical Waste?

Within these categories, the EPA specifies several types of regulated medical waste classes. Examples of regulated medical waste include:

• Pathological waste: This consists of liquid and solid waste — bodily fluids and anatomical wastes (human tissues, animal tissues, organs, or body parts) that have been examined in a laboratory or culled from biopsies and surgical procedures.
• Contaminated sharps: This includes needles, broken glass, capillary tubes or scalpel blades contaminated by bloodborne pathogens and OPIM.
• Uncontaminated sharps: This refers to sharp medical instruments like needles and disposable scalpel blades that haven’t been exposed to infectious materials. Unlike contaminated sharps, these do not pose a risk of transmitting infections but still require careful handling to prevent injuries.
• Microbiological waste: This refers to waste that contains cultures and stocks of infectious agents, including pathological and pharmaceutical specimens.
• Human and non-human blood products and components: This includes any therapeutic blood specimen used for plasma-derived medicine and transfusion.
• Isolation waste: This is a form of contaminated biological waste. Such items will generally contain exudates, excretions, blood, body fluids or secretions from humans or animals. More specifically, those infected with pathogenic material.

The EPA categorizes these types of healthcare waste based on the item’s toxic properties and the potential for the item to transmit infection. However, these guidelines may adapt according to advances in technology and scientific developments.

The Importance of Compliance and Safety in Regulated Waste Management

Understanding and properly categorizing the different types of waste in hospitals is essential to ensure safe disposal and handling. Proper waste management protects healthcare workers, reduces the risk of injury or infection, and creates a safer environment for all.

Achieving safety and compliance requires continuous education and training to keep staff informed about proper segregation practices and regulatory updates. Since legal guidelines for medical waste disposal vary from state to state, it is vital for facilities to stay current with local, state, and federal requirements to avoid fines or penalties.

A comprehensive understanding of medical waste types is crucial for several reasons: