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WASTE MANAGEMENT
BIOHAZARDOUS WASTE
IT’S HERE AND IT NEEDS
GOOD MANAGEMENT
Recognising that biohazardous
waste is entering the domestic
waste/recycling streams is an
important first step – doing
something about it is the next
step, writes Trevor Thornton.
Waste management is one of those areas of responsibility that, as
time has passed, has become more complex. Gone are the days of
simply arranging a cart to travel the streets collecting refuse. Now,
there are sophisticated resource recovery operations coupled with
increasing regulatory and community expectations in regards to what
and how wastes are managed.
Not only is there a greater range of treatment/management options
available, there is also a greater level of knowledge of what is actually
being generated – both in terms of types and quantities of waste. What
is, however, occasionally not occurring, is a commensurate understanding
of what to do with the waste, coupled with the full range of issues
associated not only with the waste types but also their management.
As community needs change, local government often responds
with thought and analysis of alternative options to ensure that the
Govlink I Issue 1 2014
health of its community is maintained, while remaining responsible
in meeting legislative and economic responsibilities. Prime example
of this is the introduction of more sophisticated recycling systems,
education on waste management and the use of technologies such
as MRFs and organics processing.
Generators of biohazardous waste shifted away from the more
traditional and historical facilities/activities such as: hospitals;
nursing homes; medical clinics; dentists; veterinarians; pathologists;
emergency services; blood banks; mortuary; crime/trauma scene
remediation and other similar practices.
With the delivery of healthcare in the community shifting significantly
from virtually only hospital-based delivery to sophisticated “hospital
in the home” delivery, biohazardous waste1 is no longer being only
generated in healthcare facilities, but includes now many domestic