Infectious waste

Infectious waste includes microorganisms, e.g. agar plates containing bacteria, cell cultures, human blood and materials that have been in contact with them.

Infectious solid material must, if in situ inactivation/killing is not possible (see below), be collected in yellow plastic boxes affixed with a thermal label marked “Infectious waste”. To order plastic boxes, labels, transport and destruction, see your school / division's internal documents and the university's procured waste management company.

Infectious waste should preferably be placed in autoclavable biohazard bags and then autoclaved. After autoclaving, it must be indicated that the infectious material has been inactivated, either through the use of autoclave tape or in writing on the package. After this, the material can be packed in an ordinary waste bag and disposed of as combustible waste.

Microorganisms in risk class 3 must be inactivated locally according to an approved protocol and may not be disposed of as infectious waste.

Solid waste that has only been in contact with well-characterised cell cultures that are not genetically modified or infected can be treated as ordinary laboratory waste.

Infectious sharps waste

All small sharp items must be placed in small (0.5-3 litre) hazardous waste containers. Both these and larger items must then be placed in yellow plastic waste boxes with lids and sent for incineration.

Infectious sharps waste should, if possible, be converted into non-infectious waste as early as possible in the waste process, e.g. by autoclaving.