Infectious Waste vs Medical Waste

People commonly use the term "medical waste" to mean anything thrown away in a health care setting--but that is not Wisconsin's legal definition of the term. Or they may use the term "hazardous waste" to refer to biohazardous infectious waste or radiological waste, although the legal definition of hazardous waste is chemically hazardous waste regulated under state and federal hazardous waste rules. It can be confusing!

The Difference Between "Infectious Waste" and "Medical Waste"

Basically, infectious waste is waste that can pass on infectious diseases to people or animals, such as sharps (including hypodermic needles, syringes and lancets), blood or human tissue. Medical waste is infectious waste plus any non-infectious waste that may be mixed with them.

The legal definitions are:

• Infectious waste means solid waste that contains pathogens with sufficient virulence and in sufficient quantity that exposure of a susceptible human or animal to the solid waste could cause the human or animal to contract an infectious disease. [s. 287.07(7)(c)1.c., Wis. Stats.]
• Medical waste means infectious waste, as defined above, and other waste that contains or may be mixed with infectious waste. [s. 299.51(1)(b), Wis. Stats.]

Note that medical waste does not mean all of the waste produced in a health care setting. Non-infectious materials from a health care facility are considered to be "medical waste" only if the generator mixes them with infectious waste or manages them as though they are infectious waste. Any other waste materials from a health care facility are not considered "medical waste" under Wisconsin law. If possible, these non-infectious items should be reused or recycled. For more information, see Reducing Medical Waste and Donating Medical Items.

For more information about other wastes produced in health care settings, see Overview of Waste Management of Health Care Facilities and Managing Waste in a Health Care Setting.

Definitions of other medical waste related terms can be found in Medical Waste: Definitions of Terms (PUB WA820) [PDF 58KB].

Items Considered to be Infectious Waste

The following items are presumed to be infectious waste:

• Sharps, including unused or disinfected sharps that are being discarded, such as hypodermic needles, syringes with needles, scalpel blades, lancets, broken glass or rigid plastic vials, and laboratory slides.
• Bulk blood or body fluids, including pourable or drippable amounts of blood or body fluids, or items saturated with blood or body fluids.
• Microbiological laboratory waste, such as cultures derived from clinical specimens and discarded laboratory equipment that has contacted cultures.
• Human tissue, including teeth but not hair or nails.
• Tissue, bulk blood or body fluids from an animal carrying a zoonotic infectious agent such as rabies, anthrax or tuberculosis.

Legal definitions of sharps, bulk blood or body fluids, microbiological laboratory waste, human tissue, and zoonotic infectious agents can be found in s. NR 500.03, Wis. Adm. Code, [PDF 103KB, exit DNR]. These and other terms are compiled in Medical Waste: Definitions of Terms (PUB WA820) [PDF 58KB].

Note that households are only required to manage their sharps as infectious waste. The rest of these items, when managed by households, may be put in the regular trash. The DNR recommends wrapping them in plastic first.

For more information, see s. NR 526.05(1) [PDF 104KB, exit DNR].

Items Usually Not Considered to be Infectious Waste

The following are presumed not to be infectious waste:

• Items soiled or spotted, but not saturated, with human blood or body fluids, such as gloves, gowns, dressings, bandages, surgical drapes and feminine hygiene products.
• Items containing non-infectious body fluids, such as diapers.
• Containers, packaging, waste glass, laboratory equipment or other materials that have had no contact with blood, body fluids, clinical cultures or infectious agents.
• Animal manure and bedding.
• Tissue, blood or body fluids from animals not known to be carrying a zoonotic infectious agent.
• Teeth that individuals take home from the dentist. (Dentists must manage teeth individuals do not want as infectious waste.) More information is contained on Dental Waste.

Please note: if these items were mixed with infectious waste, they would have to be managed as though they were infectious. See also s. NR 526.05(2) [PDF 104KB, exit DNR].

If You Are Unsure Whether an Item Is Infectious Waste

Contact the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

Gwen Borlaug, Infection Control Epidemiologist
Phone: (608)267-7711.

More About Infectious Waste and Bloodborne Pathogens

Related Link

• DNR publications can be found at Medical/Infectious Waste Publications.

Related Sites

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) medical waste [exit DNR] includes links to federal and state regulations about medical waste and to publications.
• EPA's Healthcare Environmental Resource Center [exit DNR] contains pollution prevention and compliance assistance information for the health care sector.
• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) [exit DNR] has information on bloodborne pathogen standards and tuberculosis standards, along with searchable guidance.
• Bloodborne pathogen training [exit DNR], prepared by UW-Madison Safety Department, Occupational Health Program.
• The International Sharps Injury Prevention Society (ISIPS) [exit DNR] provides education, information and product knowledge to help reduce the number of sharps injuries.
• The National Clinicians' Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Hotline (PEPline) [exit DNR] offers treating clinicians up-to-the-minute advice on managing occupational exposures (i.e., needlesticks, splashes, etc.) to HIV, hepatitis and other blood-borne pathogens. Phone consultations are available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week at 1-888-448-4911.

Contact Information

For questions and comments about infectious waste, please contact:

DNR Medical Waste@Wisconsin.gov