Biohazardous wastes from healthcare facilities (e.g. hospitals) and research facilities (e.g laboratories) are a specific type of TIW and include infectious waste, pathological waste, contaminated sharps, routine clinical waste, cytotoxic waste, and pharmaceutical waste. Other types of TIW include chemical waste and mercury-containing waste.
Biohazardous wastes need special handling and disposal. Disposal of biohazardous wastes shall be carried out by licensed Toxic Industrial Waste Collectors that are authorised to handle this specific type of TIW.
Non-biohazardous mercury-containing waste such as non-contact amalgam or unused pre-capsulated amalgam (scrap) and empty amalgam capsules should be disposed of as TIW but separately from other chemical waste.
Please also note that radioactive wastes should also be separated from biohazardous wastes, TIW, and other types of waste.
Biohazardous mercury-containing wastes such as contact amalgam (i.e. amalgam that has been in contact with the patient’s blood) are classified as biohazardous wastes and shall be properly segregated from other types of biohazardous waste and TIW that do not contain mercury. Prior to the disposal of contact amalgam, generators should inform the hospital-appointed licensed TIWCs of the presence of mercury in the biohazardous waste so that appropriate measures can be taken to ensure their safe collection, treatment and disposal.