Healthcare Waste Report - Environment Health

JAPAN 4
MANAGEMENT OF
HEALTHCARE WASTE
Waste generated at hospitals and clinics
(medical institutions) are divided into
infectious and non-infectious. In Japan,
infectious waste materials disposed from
hospitals and clinics are defined under
industrial waste and also categorized as under
hazardous material (Miyazaki and Une, 2005).
Healthcare waste in Japan is categorized into
four types as shown in Table below.
Wastes with characteristics harmful
characteristics to human health and the
environment is specified as “specially
controlled waste”. Among the specially
controlled wastes, those with infectious
pathogens generated from the healthcare
facilities are classified as infectious waste.
According to the amended Waste Disposal
Law of 1991, infectious waste is defined as
those generated in medical institutions as a
result of medical care or research containing
pathogens that have the potential to transmit
infectious diseases.
Classification of Healthcare Waste
Industrial
Wastes
Privateowned
Infectious Wastes Non-Infectious
blood, sludge,
injection needle,
waste oil, X rays
fixing solution
plastics, waste
glass, rubber etc.
paper, bandage,
cotton etc
CHAPTER 3_COUNTRY ANALYSIS
As specified in the Waste Management Law,
the criteria for determining infectious waste
from healthcare facilities are judged based on
three parameters as below:
1. Configuration or Form of Waste
Waste materials contaminated with the
following are termed as infectious, which
could also be from laboratory work or
veterinary clinics.
Blood and body fluids;
Tissues, organs and body parts;
Sharp objects contaminated with blood
and body fluids;
Test equipment and cultures of
infectious agents.
2. Site of Generation
Waste materials are termed as infectious if
they are disposed of from: a ward for
infectious diseases; an operation theater; an
emergency room for out-patients; an
intensive care unit; an inspection room
such as a pathological and a biological
laboratory and an autopsy room.
3. Type of Infectious Disease
Waste materials relating to all materials
used for the treatment and examination of
patients with infectious diseases listed
under Group 1 to 5 (under the Japanese
law on Prevention of Infectious Diseases
and Health Care for Patients of Infectious
Diseases, 2003 or the Infectious Diseases
Law) and tuberculosis, are defined as
infectious waste.
The amount of healthcare waste generated as
of November 2003, was 1.23 million tons/
year of which 285,000 tons were infectious
and 945,000 tons were non-infectious waste.
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