What is Clinical Waste

Legal definition of Clinical Waste

The Waste Disposal Ordinance defines Clinical Waste as it is applicable in Hong Kong. It provides a legal definition which all healthcare professionals, care providers, lab technologists, research workers and waste handlers should familiarize with and follow.

According to Section 2 and in association with Schedule 8 of the Waste Disposal Ordinance, Clinical Waste means waste consisting of any substance, matter or thing generated in connection with :

• a dental, medical, nursing or veterinary practice;
• any other practice, or establishment (howsoever described), that provides medical care and services for the sick, injured, infirm or those who require medical treatment;
• dental, medical, nursing, veterinary, pathological or pharmaceutical research; or
• a dental, medical, veterinary or pathological laboratory practice,

and which consists wholly or partly of any of the materials specified in one or more of the groups listed below :

Group 1 - Used or Contaminated Sharps

Syringes, needles*, cartridges, ampoules and other sharp instruments which have been used or which have become contaminated with any other group of clinical waste.
* Needles include acupuncture needles.

Group 2 - Laboratory Waste

Unsterilized laboratory stock cultures, or cultures, of infectious agents and potentially infectious waste with significant health risk from dental, medical, veterinary or pathological laboratories.

Note: “potentially infectious waste with significant health risk from dental, medical, veterinary or pathological laboratories” refers to those unsterilized materials or devices used to culture, transfer, inoculate or mix the laboratory stock cultures, or cultures, of infectious agents. Examples include culture dish, bottle, flask, tube, pipette, pipette tip, inoculation loop and inoculation wire.

Group 3 - Human and Animal Tissues

All human and animal tissues, organs and body parts as well as dead animals, but excluding :

1. dead animals and animal tissues, organs and body parts arising from a veterinary practice or a Chinese medicine practice; and
2. teeth arising from a dental practice.

Note: Group 3 clinical waste is not intended to cover small quantities of human and animal tissues which cannot be completely separated from items such as dressings.

Group 4 - Infectious Materials

Infectious materials from patients with the following pathogens : –

• Crimean / Congo haemorrhagic fever virus;
• Ebola virus;
• Guanarito virus;
• Hendra virus;
• Junin virus;
• Kyasanur forest disease;
• Lassa fever virus;
• Machupo virus;
• Marburg virus;
• Nipah virus;
• Omsk virus;
• Russian spring-summer encephalitis virus;
• Sabia virus;
• Variola virus;
• Herpesvirus simiae virus (B virus); and
• Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus.

Any materials contaminated by the above infectious materials are also classified as Group 4 waste.

Note: The Director may, by notice published in the Gazette, amend the list of pathogens under this group.

Group 5 - Dressings

Surgical dressings, swabs and all other waste dribbling with blood, caked with blood or containing free-flowing blood.

Group 6 - Other Wastes

Such other wastes as specified by the Director by notice published in the Gazette if in his opinion such wastes :

1. are likely to be contaminated with infectious materials from patients falling within such case definition as specified in the notice; and
2. may pose a significant health risk.

Hazards associated with Clinical Waste

Clinical waste is potentially dangerous because it can cause cuts and needle-stick injuries or transmit disease. If improperly handled, clinical waste would be hazardous to people at the workplace, cleaners, waste handlers, and the general public.