Medical waste

Any waste that contains infectious material and is generated by hospitals, laboratories, medical research centres, pharmaceutical companies, or veterinary clinics is classified as medical waste. It includes body fluids such as blood and urine, body parts, and other contaminants, along with culture dishes, glassware, bandages, gloves, discarded needles, scalpels, swabs, and tissues. Safe and sustainable management of biomedical waste is described as a social and legal responsibility of everyone working in a healthcare centre, not merely a background operational task. Disposal methods include incineration, chemical disinfection, autoclaving, encapsulation, and microwave irradiation, with final disposal carried out through landfilling or on-premises burial in line with prescribed norms -- meaning medical waste requires stricter, more special …