Laboratory Waste and Incineration: A Guide
Many laboratory waste items are disposed of through incineration. This process is necessary in some instances to minimise infection risks, but could be reduced in some circumstances.
Laboratory staff should understand when incineration is used, its benefits and drawbacks, and what can be done to minimise it.
Identifying lab waste for incineration
Waste segregation in laboratories follows Health Technical Memorandum 07-01 (HTM 07-01). This guidance is backed by the NHS Clinical Waste Strategy, which aims to have only 20% of clinical waste sent for incineration.
The waste sent for high temperature incineration falls into the yellow waste stream, which includes known or suspected infectious clinical waste. They will also typically be contaminated by pharmaceuticals or chemicals.
A pile of plastic laboratory waste including test tubes, pipettes, and colored caps.
In the laboratory, this could include appropriately contaminated PPE, wipes, or agar plates. Sharps waste contaminated with pharmaceuticals or chemicals also goes into this waste stream, but must be stored in a sharp-specific bin (this will be reinforced to be puncture-resistant, avoiding injury risks). Anatomical, cytotoxic and cytostatic laboratory waste will also be subject to high temperature incineration.
Known infectious waste that does not present a medical or chemical contamination risk is placed into orange waste containers. Whilst HTM 07-01 notes this waste can be incinerated, it is not recommended, and alternative treatment is preferred.
Where offensive waste (such as used but non-infectious PPE) can be incinerated at a lower temperature, it can be included in Energy from Waste (EfW) output, something that is not always possible with high temperature incineration items.
Laboratories also need to take into consideration the need to autoclave some waste stream before disposal if it poses a potential biological risk. This typically includes items that have come into contact with microorganisms, such as bacterial or viral cultures, contaminated petri dishes and flasks, used pipette tips, gloves, and other personal protective equipment. Any waste that could potentially harbor or transmit infectious agents should undergo autoclaving to ensure sterilisation and prevent the spread of biohazards into the environment or to waste handlers.
The benefits and problems with incineration
Technicians must recognise that, at present, many items produced as laboratory waste are best managed through incineration. It is necessary when managing items that pose the highest risk to the environment or human health.
Gloved hand fitting a bright orange waste bag into a bin.
Infectious or hazardous waste that is subject to incineration is disposed of at ≥1,100ºC. A study into hospital waste, which follows the same NHS waste segregation workflows as laboratory items, found that high temperature incineration generated the highest carbon footprint of various approaches assessed, including recycling and low temperature incineration.
How to reduce incineration for lab waste
Since some laboratory waste must be disposed of by incineration, it can’t be eradicated. However, technicians can reduce the need for incineration by appropriately segregating their waste.
If an item has:
- come from a patient being treated for an infection or with a transmissible disease,
- come from a patient with a history of a known infection like a bloodborne virus,
- been previously identified as infectious by a clinician,
- or is a culture, stock or sample of infectious agents from laboratory work or has been in contact with them,
then the waste may be infectious and should be treated as such. Otherwise, items can confidently be placed into their waste workflows, such as offensive items, which do not require high temperature incineration.
Having helpful reminders of how to best segregate waste around the laboratory, ideally located near specially designed, colour-coded bins, is important. Simple-to-understand Colour Coding Guide posters are available to download online and can be placed at points-of-use throughout the laboratory.
Initial Medical provides high-quality waste containers that follow HTM 07-01’s colour coding guidance for optimal compliance. From clinical waste bags made from 30% recycled plastic to sustainably made sharps bins that are puncture-resistant, you can find the best solution for your workflows.
