CATEGORIES OF BIOMEDICAL WASTE SCHEDULE – I

CATEGORY

TYPE OF WASTE

TYPE OF BAG OR CONTAINER TO BE USED 

TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL OPTION

Yellow

Human tissues, organs, body parts and fetus below the viability period (as per the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971, amended from time to time).

Yellow coloured

non-chlorinated

plastic bags

Incineration or Plasma Pyrolysis or deep burial *

Animal Anatomical Waste : Experimental animal carcasses, body parts, organs, tissues, including the waste generated from animals used in experiments or testing in veterinary hospitals or colleges or animal houses.

Soiled Waste: Items contaminated with blood, body fluids like dressings, plaster casts, cotton swabs and bags containing residual or discarded blood and blood components.

Incineration or Plasma Pyrolysis or deep burial *                                                                  In absence of above facilities, autoclaving or micro-waving/ hydroclaving followed by shredding or mutilation or combination of sterilization and shredding. Treated waste to be sent for energy recovery.

Expired or Discarded Medicines: Pharmaceutical waste like antibiotics, cytotoxic drugs including all items contaminated with cytotoxic drugs along with glass or plastic ampoules, vials etc.

Yellow coloured

non-chlorinated

plastic bags or

containers

Expired cytotoxic drugs and items contaminated with cytotoxic drugs to be returned back to the manufacturer or supplier for incineration at temperature >1200 ⁰ C or to common bio - medical waste treatment facility or hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facility for incineration at >1200 ⁰ C Or Encapsulation or Plasma Pyrolysis at >1200 ⁰ C
All other discarded medicines shall be either sent back to manufacturer or disposed by incineration.

Chemical Waste: Chemicals used in production of biological and used or discarded disinfectants.

Yellow coloured

containers or

non-chlorinated

plastic bags

Disposed of by incineration or Plasma Pyrolysis or Encapsulation in hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facility .

Chemical Liquid Waste : Liquid waste generated due to use of chemicals in production of biological and used or discarded disinfectants, Silver X - ray film developing liquid, discarded Formalin, infected secretions, aspirated body fluids , liquid from laboratories an d floor washings, cleaning, house - keeping and disinfecting activities etc.

Separate

collection

system leading

to effluent

treatment system

After resource recovery, the chemical liquid waste shall be pre - treated before mixing with other wastewater. The combined discharge shall conform to the discharge norms given in Schedule - III.

Discarded linen, mattresses, beddings contaminated with blood or body fluid.

Non-chlorinated

yellow plastic

bags or suitable

packing material

Non - chlorinated chemical disinfection followed by incineration or Plazma Pyrolysis or for energy recovery. In absence of above facilities, shredding or mutilation or combination of sterilization and shredding. Treated waste to be sent for energy recovery or incineration or Plazma Pyrolysis .

Microbiology, Biotechnology and other clinical laboratory waste: Blood bags, Laboratory cultures, stocks or specimens of micro - organisms, live or attenuated vaccines, human and animal cell cultures used in research, industrial laboratories, production of biological, residual toxins, dishes and devices used for cultures.

Autoclave safe

plastic bags or

containers

Pre - treat to sterilize with non - chlorinated chemicals on - site as per National AIDS Control Organisation or World Health Organisation guidelines thereafter for Incineration.

Red

Contaminated Waste (Recyclable)                   Wastes generated from disposable items such as tubing, bottles, intravenous tubes and sets, catheters, urine bags, syringes (without needles and fixed needle syringes ) and vaccutainers with their needles cut) and gloves.

Red coloured

non-chlorinated

plastic bags or

containers

Autoclaving or micro - waving/ hydroclaving followed by shredding or mutilation or combination of sterilization and shredding. Treated waste to be sent to registered or authorized recyclers or for energy recovery or plastics to diesel or fuel oil or for road making, whichever is possible. Plastic waste should not be sent to landfill sites.

White

(Translucent)

Waste sharps including Metals: Needles, syringes with fixed needles, needles from needle tip cutter or burner, scalpels, blades, or any other contaminated sharp object that may cause puncture and cuts. This includes both used, discarded and contaminated metal sharps

Puncture proof,

Leak proof,

tamper proof

containers

Autoclaving or Dry Heat Sterilization followed by shredding or mutilation or encapsulation in metal container or cement concrete; combination of shredding cum autoclaving; and sent for final disposal to iron foundries (having consent to operate from the State Pollution Control Board s or Pollution Control Committee s) or sanitary landfill or designated concrete waste sharp pit.

Blue

Glassware: Broken or discarded and contaminated glass including medicine vials and ampoules except those contaminated with cytotoxic wastes

Cardboard boxes

with blue

colored marking

Disinfection (by soaking the washed glass waste after cleaning with detergent and Sodium Hypochlorite treatment) or through autoclaving or microwaving or hydroclaving and then sent for recycling.

Metallic Body Implants