Green Team Clinical Waste Update
Thursday, 24 July 2025 / Albury Wodonga Health
CLINICAL WASTE:
Did you know, that up to 60% of clinical waste is in the inappropriate waste stream, and could be disposed of into either land-fill or recycling? (as estimated by waste company Cleanaway Daniels).
The AWH Green Team wants to help educate and remind clinical staff of what is & isn’t clinical waste.
Clinical waste is one of the most environmentally + financially costly waste streams. The more processing a waste stream requires = the greater the negative environmental impact. Clinical waste goes thru a lengthy and energy intensive process called autoclaving, a process which cleans and heats the waste to a high temperature prior to it being deemed safe for disposal into landfill.
Clinical waste accounts for approximately 52% of AWH’s monthly waste bill, despite only contributing to 11% of total weight of waste produced. Considering that 60% of clinical waste is incorrectly disposed of – AWH is literally throwing away tens of thousands of dollars each month into clinical waste! (data from Cleanaway + Cleanaway Daniel’s April monthly reports)
What can we do to improve?
Understanding where waste needs to be disposed of is the first crucial step, always keeping patient and staff safety front of mind.
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Clinical waste
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NOT clinical waste
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Any items from a patient suspected or know to have a communicable disease
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Liquids and food > landfill
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Blood stained items (i.e blood stained gloves, dressings, pads, tissues)
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Paper > co-mingled recycling
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Contaminated IV tubing and blood sets
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Pads + nappies (not blood stained) > landfill
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Contaminated oxygen masks and tubing
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Paper with patient information > confidential waste
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Batteries > ecobatt recycling bucket
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Medications > Rx. Destroyer
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Catheters and urine bags (not blood stained) > landfill
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Sharps > sharps bin
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For more information and resources on clinical waste, or Green Team projects, please contact green.team@awh.org.au. Champions needed!