Clinical and related waste can come from premises such as:
- medical facilities – like hospitals
- dental surgeries
- veterinary clinics
- laboratories
- podiatrists
- brothels
- blood banks
- mortuaries.
Clinical and related waste can include:
- sharps – like syringes and needles
- specimens – such as blood and urine
- cultures, animal and human tissue, and other materials from laboratories
- waste from patients with contagious diseases.
Some human tissue isn’t clinical waste. For example, cadavers (corpses), foetuses and placenta.
Activities that cause clinical and related waste include:
- tattooing
- body piercing
- emergency services
- nursing
- pharmaceutical procedures.
The law on clinical and related waste
Clinical and related waste is classified as reportable priority waste under the Environment Protection Regulations 2021.
Clinical and related waste can cause harm to people and the environment. It’s important to manage clinical and related waste the right way.
Read more about clinical and related waste
Reviewed 3 February 2022
