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 :
and which consists wholly or partly of any of the materials specified in one or more of the groups listed below :
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.
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.
All human and animal tissues, organs and body parts as well as dead animals, but excluding :
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.
Infectious materials from patients with the following pathogens : –
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.
Surgical dressings, swabs and all other waste dribbling with blood, caked with blood or containing free-flowing blood.
Such other wastes as specified by the Director by notice published in the Gazette if in his opinion such wastes :
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.