Colour Coding
The “Safe Management of Healthcare Waste” Guidance brought in a new colour coding regime which has seen the gradual shift away from the widely recognised “yellow bags” and the introduction of new colours. These colours are designed to aid segregation at source and allow waste management suppliers to support new and alternative methods of waste treatment, above and beyond landfill and incineration.
Orange
This season, orange is the new yellow as soft clinical waste is now more likely to be placed in orange bags. The colour orange indicates that the waste is suitable for alternative treatment, such as autoclave and recycling.
An orange lid on a yellow sharps bin indicates that the sharps do not contain pharmaceuticals, making them suitable for alternative treatment and disposal.
Examples
Blood contaminated swabs, used dressing, phlebotomy sharps, scalpels
Yellow
Yellow rigid containers, known as ecolocs, are still in use. Yellow bags and containers are used when waste is NOT suitable for alternative treatment and must go for incineration. Anatomical and surgical waste should always be placed in yellow rigid containers.
A yellow sharps bin with a yellow lid should be used when the syringe contains residual pharmaceuticals such as anaesthetics or pain medication.
Examples
Tissue samples, blood bags, surgical waste and pharmi sharps
Purple
Purple lids, normally used on yellow containers, identify waste as being cytotoxic and cytostatic. Due to the unique risks posed by this waste, it must always be segregated and clearly identifiable both to staff, waste collection and disposal personnel.
Examples
Cytotoxic sharps, contaminated gloves, aprons and dressings
White
White containers are used in the dental field to identify amalgam waste. As a potentially toxic and hazardous waste, it is vital that dental amalgam is segregated and managed correctly.
Examples
Unused dental amalgam and extracted teeth with amalgam fillings
Offensive
The yellow bags with a black stripe, commonly known as ‘tiger bags’ are normally associated with nappy waste. In fact, these bags can be used for any form of “offensive” waste. Offensive waste is soft healthcare-generated waste which is not classified as infectious but is not-the-less unpleasant,
Examples
Incontinence waste, catheter bags and empty urine bottles
Black
Black bags are to be used for all general and trade waste. Recent research indicated that up to a third of healthcare yellow and orange bags is actually, non-infectious and non-offensive general waste.
Examples
Paper towels, uncontaminated couch roll, dressings packaging and trays
Green
Although not specified in the colour coding guidance, green is widely recognised as the colour representing pharmaceutical waste. Where possible, all medicinal waste, whether liquid or solid, should be placed into these bins in its original packaging.
Examples
Out of date stock, patient returns, methadone cups and liquid medicines