Waste collection is a part of the process of waste management . It is the transfer of solid waste from the point of use and disposal to the point of treatment or landfill . Waste collection also includes the curbside collection of recyclable materials that technically are not waste , as part of a municipal landfill diversion program.
69-495: Household waste in economically developed countries will generally be left in waste containers or recycling bins prior to collection by a waste collector using a waste collection vehicle . Waste collection barges are used in some towns, for example in Venice , Italy. However, in many developing countries, such as Mexico and Egypt , waste left in bins or bags at the side of the road will not be removed unless residents interact with
138-421: A biohazard symbol. The container, marking, and labels are often red. Discarded sharps are usually collected in specialized boxes, often called needle boxes . Specialized equipment is required to meet OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1450 and EPA 40 CFR 264.173. standards of safety. Minimal recommended equipment include a fume hood and primary and secondary waste containers to capture potential overflow. Even beneath
207-413: A larger vehicle and sent to either a landfill or alternative waste treatment facility. Waste collection considerations of waste during different types of waste and size of bins, positioning of the bins, and how often bins are to be serviced. Overfilled bins result in rubbish falling out while being tipped. Hazardous rubbish like empty petrol cans can cause fires igniting other trash when the truck compactor
276-461: A number of different disposal methods, the situation is desultory and most are harmful rather than helpful. If body fluids are present, the material needs to be incinerated or put into an autoclave. Although this is the proper method, most medical facilities fail to follow the regulations. It is often found that biomedical waste is dumped into the ocean, where it eventually washes up on shore, or in landfills due to improper sorting or negligence when in
345-408: A number of sources that has nothing to do with a municipality, the traditional role of municipalities in collecting and managing these kinds of waste have produced the particular etymology 'municipal.' The composition of municipal solid waste varies greatly from municipality to municipality, and it changes significantly with time. In municipalities which have a well-developed waste recycling system,
414-407: A pressure cooker, uses high-temperature steam to penetrate waste material and kill micro-organisms. Autoclave treatment has been recommended for microbiology and biotechnology waste, waste sharps, soiled and solid wastes. Microwave irradiation is based on the principle of generation of high frequency waves. These waves cause the particles within the waste material to vibrate, generating heat and killing
483-718: A reverse distributor. Reusable RMW or sharps containers reduce the amount of plastic sent to landfills and CO 2 emissions. Non-incineration treatment includes four basic processes: thermal, chemical, irradiative, and biological. The main purpose of the treatment technology is to decontaminate waste by destroying pathogens . Modern technology invented mechanics that would allow medical professionals and hospitals to dispose medical waste in an environmentally friendly way; such as: autoclaving , plasma pyrolysis , gasification , chemical methods, and microwave irradiation . These alternatives are also highly versatile and can be used for all different types of waste. An autoclave, similar to
552-495: A safe and reliable manner. Gasification can offer carbon sequestration and energy generation, reducing the carbon footprint of biomedical waste treatment. Significant strides may be made relatively quickly if the focus shifts towards surgical subspecialties and their involvement in generated medical waste. Surgical specialties in particular have focused on infection control and thus have implemented single-use operative tools in their practices. One example of this can be seen within
621-409: A threat to humans who visited the beach. The crises spurred scientists and lawmakers to create mechanisms, policies, and laws so that health care providers would process their bio-waste in an environmentally friendly way. Improper management of health care waste can have both direct and indirect health consequences for health personnel, community members and on the environment. Indirect consequences in
690-634: A waste disposal contract with NHS England for primary care and pharmacy. In the United States, biomedical waste is usually regulated as medical waste. In 1988 the U.S. federal government passed the Medical Waste Tracking Act which allowed the EPA to establish rules for management of medical waste in some parts of the country. After the Act expired in 1991, responsibility to regulate and pass laws concerning
759-418: A worldwide online registry of unwanted items that would otherwise be thrown away, for individuals and nonprofits to reuse or recycle. Therefore, this free Internet-based service reduces landfill pollution and promotes the gift economy . Landfills are created by land dumping. Land dumping methods vary, most commonly it involves the mass dumping of waste into a designated area, usually a hole or sidehill. After
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#1732891521869828-428: Is a type of non-contact heating technologies for disinfection. Microwave chemistry is based on efficient heating of materials by microwave dielectric heating effects. When exposed to microwave frequencies, the dipoles of the water molecules present in cells re-align with the applied electric field. As the field oscillates, the dipoles attempts to realign itself with the alternating electric field and in this process, energy
897-400: Is also known as starved-air incineration, two-stage incineration, or modular combustion. This is the process of which waste is fed to a combustion chamber and combustion air begins to dry and facilitates volatilization of the waste. As a result, carbon dioxide and other excess gases are released into the atmosphere. The second type of incineration is the excess air process. This is similar to
966-414: Is an environmental concern, as many medical wastes are classified as infectious or biohazardous and could potentially lead to the spread of infectious disease . The most common danger for humans is the infection which also affects other living organisms in the region. Daily exposure to the wastes (landfills) leads to accumulation of harmful substances or microbes in the person's body. A 1990 report by
1035-431: Is an issue and moreover, 95% of them agreed to a willingness to change their operating room workflow to reduce waste. Another focus that proves to be effective is reform around the policies that surround "red bag waste." Separation of medical waste is typically done via these bags and a narrative review out of U.S. operating rooms found that 90% of red bag waste, or the items found in the red waste bags, did not actually meet
1104-618: Is any kind of waste containing infectious (or potentially infectious) materials generated during the treatment of humans or animals as well as during research involving biologics. It may also include waste associated with the generation of biomedical waste that visually appears to be of medical or laboratory origin (e.g. packaging, unused bandages, infusion kits etc.), as well research laboratory waste containing biomolecules or organisms that are mainly restricted from environmental release. As detailed below, discarded sharps are considered biomedical waste whether they are contaminated or not, due to
1173-687: Is being enforced through penalties and via awareness. The CTF are operational in most Tier 1 cities and Tier 2 cities of India and compliance is high today because of NGT. But lack of awareness lead to issues of improper segregation. In Tier 2 and 3 cities the general waste is also mixed with biomedical waste. The latest guidelines for segregation of bio-medical waste recommend the following color coding: The syringe tide environmental disaster of 1987–1988 raised awareness about medical waste as medical syringes washed ashore in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. The syringes endangered marine species and posed
1242-452: Is burned, however this leads to a bigger problem when it comes to air pollution. This can eventually create health issues to people in the surrounding areas. According to USNews , The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 3.2% employment growth for garbage collectors between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 4,700 jobs should open up. Household waste Municipal solid waste ( MSW ), commonly known as trash or garbage in
1311-442: Is distinct from normal trash or general waste, and differs from other types of hazardous waste , such as chemical, radioactive, universal or industrial waste . Medical facilities generate waste hazardous chemicals and radioactive materials. While such wastes are normally not infectious, they require proper disposal. Some wastes are considered multihazardous, such as tissue samples preserved in formalin . Disposal of this waste
1380-558: Is lost in the form of heat through molecular friction and dielectric loss. Microwave disinfection is a recently developed technology which provides advantage over old existing technologies of autoclaves as microwave based disinfection has less cycle time, power consumption and it requires minimal usage of water and consumables as compared to autoclaves. For liquids and small quantities, a 1–10% solution of bleach can be used to disinfect biomedical waste. Solutions of sodium hydroxide and other chemical disinfectants may also be used, depending on
1449-614: Is no single approach that can be applied to the management of all waste streams, therefore the Environmental Protection Agency , a U.S. federal government agency, developed a hierarchy ranking strategy for municipal solid waste. The waste management hierarchy is made up of four levels ordered from most preferred to least preferred methods based on their environmental soundness: Source reduction and reuse; recycling or composting; energy recovery ; treatment and disposal. The functional element of collection includes not only
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#17328915218691518-403: Is not a dump; it is an engineered facility used for disposing of solid wastes on land without creating nuisances or hazards to public health or safety, such as the problems of insects and the contamination of groundwater . In recent years, environmental organizations, such as Freegle or The Freecycle Network , have been gaining popularity for their online reuse networks. These networks provide
1587-408: Is operating. Bins may be locked or stored in secure areas to avoid having non-paying parties placing rubbish in the bin. The cost of old waste is also a concern in collection of waste across the globe. If waste collection is not carried out properly, it can lead to environmental pollution. This includes the breeding of animals and insects, and can eventually lead to the spread of disease. Usually waste
1656-691: Is performed by the municipality within a given area. The term residual waste relates to waste left from household sources containing materials that have not been separated out or sent for processing. Waste can be classified in several ways, but the following list represents a typical classification: For example, typical municipal solid waste in China is composed of 55.9% food residue, 8.5% paper, 11.2% plastics, 3.2% textiles, 2.9% wood waste, 0.8% rubber, and 18.4% non-combustibles. The municipal solid waste industry has four components: recycling , composting , disposal , and waste-to-energy via incineration. There
1725-505: Is rooted in their unique capabilities to be lightweight, cost-effective, and durable while preserving the sterility of medical equipment. In addition to the serious health implications of releasing harmful toxins in the environment from medical waste deposits, introducing this volume of single-use plastics can catalyze the compounding health detriments caused by macro and microplastics . The three type of medical waste incinerators are controlled air, excess air, and rotary kiln . Controlled air
1794-530: Is the discharge of poisons into the waters that could then be consumed by ocean life creatures. Toxins would interject into the food chain and eventually reach humans who consume sea creatures. Human exposure to such toxins can stunt human growth development and cause birth defects. The high volume of plastic use in the medical field also poses a dangerous threat to the environment. According to North and Halden, 85% of disposable plastic materials make up all medical equipment. Our current reliance on plastic materials
1863-491: The Clean Air Act have succeeded in reducing emissions of dioxins from waste-to-energy facilities by more than 99 percent below 1990 levels, while mercury emissions have been reduced by over 90 percent. The EPA noted these improvements in 2003, citing waste-to-energy as a power source "with less environmental impact than almost any other source of electricity ". Medical waste Biomedical waste or hospital waste
1932-1104: The Hazardous Waste Regulations (England & Wales) 2005 , as well as the Special Waste Regulations in Scotland. A scandal erupted in October 2018 when it emerged that Healthcare Environment Services , which had contracts for managing clinical waste produced by the NHS in Scotland and England, was in breach of the environmental permits at four of its six sites by having more waste on site than their permit allows and storing waste inappropriately. Seventeen NHS trusts in Yorkshire terminated their contracts immediately. The company sued for compensation. Amputated limbs were said to be among 350 tonnes of clinical waste stockpiled instead of incinerated in Normanton . The company maintains that
2001-618: The Medical Waste Management Program , which regulates the generation, handling, storage, treatment, and disposal of medical waste by providing oversight for the implementation of the Medical Waste Management Act. Precautions have been taken in California which permits and inspects all medical waste offsite treatment facilities and medical waste transfer stations. In order to dispose waste, the department recommends
2070-522: The Resource Conservation Recovery Act , such as requiring liners and groundwater monitoring. This is because landfills pose the threat of pollution and can contaminate groundwater. The signs of pollution are effectively masked by disposal companies, and it is often hard to see any evidence. Usually, landfills are surrounded by large walls or fences hiding the mounds of debris. Large amounts of chemical odor eliminating agent are sprayed in
2139-653: The United States and rubbish in Britain , is a waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public. " Garbage " can also refer specifically to food waste , as in a garbage disposal ; the two are sometimes collected separately. In the European Union, the semantic definition is 'mixed municipal waste,' given waste code 20 03 01 in the European Waste Catalog. Although the waste may originate from
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2208-415: The regulation of bio-medical waste management. On 28 March 2016 Biomedical Waste Management Rules (BMW 2016) were also notified by Central Govt. Each state's Pollution Control Board or Pollution control Committee will be responsible for implementing the new legislation. New regulations affect the distribution of medical waste by medical professionals into their proper receptacles. In India, though there are
2277-470: The U.S. postal service. While available in all 50 U.S. states, mail-back medical waste disposal is limited by very strict postal regulations (i.e., collection containers must comply with requirements set out by the Food and Drug Administration , while shipping containers must be approved by the postal service for use). The Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 and further amendments were passed for
2346-520: The United States Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry concluded that the general public is not likely to be adversely affected by biomedical waste generated in the traditional healthcare setting. They found, however, that biomedical waste from those settings may pose an injury and exposure risks via occupational contact with medical waste for doctors, nurses, and janitorial, laundry and refuse workers. Further, there are opportunities for
2415-455: The air surrounding landfills to hide the evidence of the rotting waste inside the plant. Municipal solid waste produces enormous amounts of methane , a potent greenhouse gas . However, nearly 90% of these methane emissions could be avoided with existing technologies. In particular, municipal solid waste can be used to generate energy because of the lipid content present within it. A lot of MSW products can be converted into clean energy if
2484-506: The application of the BMW 2016 over the past 12 months. There are now over 200 licensed Common Bio Medical Waste Treatment and Disposal Facilities (CBWTDF) or Common Treatment Facility (CTF) in the country. The rules have been updated over the years. The training of Health Care Facility staff and the awareness of the Hazards of Bio Medical waste is still a challenge in most of the country. The compliance
2553-837: The characteristics described above. Waste sharps include potentially contaminated used (and unused discarded) needles, scalpels , lancets and other devices capable of penetrating skin. Biomedical waste is generated from biological and medical sources and activities, such as the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of diseases. Common generators (or producers) of biomedical waste include hospitals , health clinics , nursing homes , emergency medical services , medical research laboratories, offices of physicians , dentists , veterinarians , home health care and morgues or funeral homes . In healthcare facilities (i.e. hospitals, clinics, doctor's offices, veterinary hospitals and clinical laboratories ), waste with these characteristics may alternatively be called medical or clinical waste. Biomedical waste
2622-478: The competition to improve quality and so as to get accreditation from agencies like ISO, NABH , JCI , many private organizations have initiated proper biomedical waste disposal but still the gap is huge. Many studies took place in Gujarat , India regarding the knowledge of workers in facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, or home health. It was found that 26% of doctors and 43% of paramedical staff were unaware of
2691-429: The controlled air process, such as the waste being dried, ignited, and combusted by heat provided by the primary chamber burner. However, the main difference is that moisture and volatile components in the waste are vaporized. In a rotary kiln, the process is similar to the two mention above, however, it is more versatile in terms of being able to mix wet and dry waste components and viewed by many waste engineers as being
2760-491: The criteria for pathologic or infectious waste. Initiative from corporations and hospitals is essential to creating a healthier environment, however, there are various methods in which involves action from the general population and would contribute to a clean air environment. By creating surveillance groups within hospitals, everyone would be held accountable for misconduct and improper disposal of waste. Consequences could be implemented where individuals would be required to pay
2829-415: The disposal of medical waste returned to the individual states. The states vary in their regulations from none to very strict. In addition to on-site treatment or pickup by a biomedical waste disposal firm for off-site treatment, a mail-back disposal option allows generators of waste to return it to the manufacturer. For instance, waste medicines and equipment can be returned. The waste is shipped through
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2898-403: The disposal of wastes by land filling or land spreading is the ultimate fate of all solid wastes, whether they are residential wastes collected and transported directly to a landfill site, residual materials from materials recovery facilities (MRFs), residue from the combustion of solid waste, compost , or other substances from various solid waste processing facilities. A modern sanitary landfill
2967-578: The environment, proper waste management equipment, such as the Burkle funnel in Europe and the ECO Funnel in the U.S., should be utilized in any department which deals with chemical waste. It is to be dumped after treatment. Storage refers to keeping the waste until it is treated on-site or transported off-site for treatment or disposal. There are many options and containers for storage. Regulatory agencies may limit
3036-399: The following process to make controlled substance waste non-retrievable. Pills containing a controlled substance are crushed before placing the residue into a pharmaceutical waste container. Controlled substance that is remaining in a syringe is wasted into a pharmaceutical waste container before disposing of the syringe in a sharps container . Expired medications should be returned through
3105-459: The form of toxic emissions from inadequate burning of medical waste, or the production of millions of used syringes in a period of three to four weeks from an insufficiently well planned mass immunization campaign. Biomedical waste is not limited to medical instruments; it includes medicine, waste stored in red biohazard bags, and materials used for patient care, such as cotton and bandaids. The most serious effect that biomedical waste has on our seas
3174-470: The fume hood, containers containing chemical contaminants should remain closed when not in use. An open funnel placed in the mouth of a waste container has been shown to allow significant evaporation of chemicals into the surrounding atmosphere, which is then inhaled by laboratory personnel, and contributes a primary component to the threat of completing the fire triangle . To protect the health and safety of laboratory staff as well as neighboring civilians and
3243-449: The gathering of solid waste and recyclable materials, but also the transport of these materials, after collection, to the location where the collection vehicle is emptied. This location may be a materials processing facility, a transfer station or a landfill disposal site. Waste handling and separation involves activities associated with waste management until the waste is placed in storage containers for collection. Handling also encompasses
3312-417: The general public to come into contact with medical waste, such as needles used illicitly outside healthcare settings, or biomedical waste generated via home health care. Biomedical waste must be properly managed and disposed of to protect the environment, general public and workers, especially healthcare and sanitation workers who are at risk of exposure to biomedical waste as an occupational hazard. Steps in
3381-452: The incinerators depletes the ozone layer , causes crop and forest damage, and increases the effects of climate change . Constant exposure to such toxins and chemicals in the air could be deemed detrimental to trees and plants and could eventually lead to extinction of certain plants in specific areas. Pollution and chemical leaks also affect the fruits of trees and would cause them to be poisonous and therefore inedible. California created
3450-543: The lipid content can be accessed and utilized. Several technologies have been developed that make the processing of MSW for energy generation cleaner and more economical than ever before, including landfill gas capture, combustion, pyrolysis , gasification , and plasma arc gasification . While older waste incineration plants emitted a lot of pollutants, recent regulatory changes and new technologies have significantly reduced this concern. United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations in 1995 and 2000 under
3519-481: The management of biomedical waste include generation, accumulation, handling, storage, treatment, transport and disposal. The development and implementation of a national waste management policy can improve biomedical waste management in health facilities in a country. Disposal occurs off-site, at a location that is different from the site of generation. Treatment may occur on-site or off-site. On-site treatment of large quantities of biomedical waste usually requires
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#17328915218693588-456: The medical facility. Improper disposal can lead to many diseases in animals as well as humans. For example, animals, such as cows in Pondicherry , India, are consuming the infected waste and eventually, these infections can be transported to humans who consume their meat or milk. Large number of unregistered clinics and institutions also generate bio-medical waste which is not controlled. Due to
3657-597: The most environmentally friendly. Post incineration process, toxic ash residue is produced and is often disposed at landfills . These landfills are not protected by any barrier and the residue has the potential of reaching underground water that is often exposed to human use. The combustion of plastic material releases toxic gases that escapes and joins breathable air. Human and animal exposure to such gases can cause long term breathing and health issues. The rotation of toxic air does not only impact human well-being, but also of animals and plants. Air pollution caused by
3726-459: The movement of loaded containers to the point of collection. Separating different types of waste components is an important step in the handling and storage of solid waste at the source of collection. The types of means and facilities that are now used for the recovery of waste materials that have been separated at the source include kerbside collection, drop-off, and buy-back centres. The separation and processing of wastes that have been separated at
3795-410: The pathogens from within. A simple yet effective method is chemical disinfection : 1% hypochlorite can kill thriving bacteria. Plasma pyrolysis is an environment-friendly mechanism, which converts organic waste into commercially useful byproducts. The intense heat generated by the plasma enables it to dispose all types of waste including municipal solid waste , biomedical waste and hazardous waste in
3864-590: The possibility of being contaminated with blood and their propensity to cause injury when not properly contained and disposed. Biomedical waste is a type of biowaste. Biomedical waste may be solid or liquid. Examples of infectious waste include discarded blood , sharps, unwanted microbiological cultures and stocks, identifiable body parts (including those as a result of amputation ), other human or animal tissue, used bandages and dressings, discarded gloves, other medical supplies that may have been in contact with blood and body fluids , and laboratory waste that exhibits
3933-455: The practice of gastroenterology, where each endoscopy alone in the U.S. generates approximately 2.1 kg of disposable waste, of which 64% of the waste ended up in landfills. Thankfully, it appears that surgeons across the U.S. have agreed that their practice generates a high amount of waste and that a change needs to be implemented. A multi-center survey of 219 U.S. surgeons showed that 90% of them agreed strongly that waste of sterile surgical items
4002-480: The problem was caused by a reduction in incineration capacity, and the re-classification of clinical waste as "offensive", which meant more needed incineration. The government's contingency plans included installing temporary storage units at hospitals, but the company say that this is more dangerous than allowing them to exceed their permitted allowances. The company still has contracts with 30 other trusts in England, and
4071-496: The risks related to biomedical wastes. After extensively looking at the different facilities, many were undeveloped in the area regarding biomedical waste. The rules and regulations in India work with The Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules from 1998, yet a large number of health care facilities were found to be sorting the waste incorrectly. Update around 26 March 2020. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has been stringent on
4140-441: The same neighborhoods as many as five times per day, pushing a cart with a waste container, ringing a bell and shouting to announce their presence. These private contractors are not paid a salary, and survive only on the tips they receive. Later, they meet up with a waste collection vehicle to deposit their accumulated waste. The waste collection vehicle will often take the waste to a transfer station where it will be loaded up into
4209-402: The source and the separation of commingled wastes usually occur at a materials recovery facility, transfer stations, combustion facilities, and treatment plants. This element involves two main steps. First, the waste is transferred from a smaller collection vehicle to larger transport equipment. The waste is then transported, usually over long distances, to a processing or disposal site. Today,
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#17328915218694278-434: The time for which waste can remain in storage. Handling is the act of moving biomedical waste between the point of generation, accumulation areas, storage locations and on-site treatment facilities. Workers who handle biomedical waste must observe standard precautions. The goals of biomedical waste treatment are to reduce or eliminate the waste's hazards, and usually to make the waste unrecognizable. Treatment should render
4347-621: The use of relatively expensive equipment, and is generally only cost effective for very large hospitals and major universities who have the space, labour and budget to operate such equipment. Off-site treatment and disposal involves hiring of a biomedical waste disposal service whose employees are trained to collect and haul away biomedical waste in special containers for treatment at a facility designed to handle biomedical waste. Biomedical waste should be collected in containers that are leak-proof and sufficiently strong to prevent breakage during handling. Containers of biomedical waste are marked with
4416-427: The waste collectors. Mexico City residents must haul their trash to a waste collection vehicle which makes frequent stops around each neighborhood. The waste collectors will indicate their readiness by ringing a distinctive bell and possibly shouting. Residents line up and hand their trash container to the waste collector. A tip may be expected in some neighborhoods. Private contracted waste collectors may circulate in
4485-513: The waste is dumped, it is then compacted by large machines. When the dumping cell is full, it is then "sealed" with a plastic sheet and covered in several feet of dirt. This is the primary method of dumping in the United States because of the low cost and abundance of unused land in North America. Landfills are regulated in the US by the Environmental Protection Agency , which enforces standards provided in
4554-609: The waste or reduce its microbiological load to a level at which it may be safely disposed of. Many healthcare facilities routinely use an autoclave to sterilize medical supplies. If the same autoclave is used to sterilize supplies and treat biomedical waste, administrative controls must be used to prevent the waste operations from contaminating the supplies. Effective administrative controls include operator training, strict procedures, and separate times and space for processing biomedical waste. Microwave disinfection can also be employed for treatment of Biomedical wastes. Microwave irradiation
4623-627: The waste safe for subsequent handling and disposal. There are several treatment methods that can accomplish these goals. It includes segregating the bio waste. Biomedical waste is often incinerated . An efficient incinerator will destroy pathogens and sharps. Source materials are not recognizable in the resulting ash. Alternative thermal treatment can also include technologies such as gasification and pyrolysis including energy recovery with similar waste volume reductions and pathogen destruction. An autoclave may also be used to treat biomedical waste. An autoclave uses steam and pressure to sterilize
4692-749: The waste stream mainly consists of intractable wastes such as plastic film and non-recyclable packaging materials . At the start of the 20th century, the majority of domestic waste (53%) in the UK consisted of coal ash from open fires. In developed areas without significant recycling activity it predominantly includes food wastes, market wastes, yard wastes , plastic containers and product packaging materials, and other miscellaneous solid wastes from residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial sources. Most definitions of municipal solid waste do not include industrial wastes , agricultural wastes, medical waste , radioactive waste or sewage sludge . Waste collection
4761-568: The waste's characteristics. Other treatment methods include heat, alkaline digesters and the use of microwaves. For autoclaves and microwave systems, a shredder may be used as a final treatment step to render the waste unrecognizable. Some autoclaves have built in shredders. In the UK, clinical waste and the way it is to be handled is closely regulated. Applicable legislation includes the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Part II), Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 , and
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