General Description
Clinical Waste is waste from medical premises or laboratory that has the potential to cause disease, including, for example, discarded sharps, laboratory waste, animal and human tissue, blood, swabs and dressing.
Producers of Clinical Waste
Anyone who produces clinical waste or causes clinical waste to be produced is a clinical waste producer.
Examples of major producers are: * Hospitals * Government clinics * Dental Hospital * Nursing homes (including dialysis center) * Maternity Homes
Examples of Small Clinical Waste Producers are: * Private medical clinics (including Chinese medicine practitioners) * Dental clinics * Medical laboratories * Residential care homes including those for the elderly * Universities with medical teaching or research

Clinical Waste Control Scheme that raises public health standards in Hong Kong through effective waste management. The scheme comprises five key elements: * establishing a statutory licensing framework for all clinical waste collectors and disposal facility operators. * using licensed contractors for collection and transport of the waste * requiring clinical waste producers to properly manage their clinical waste by consigning the clinical waste to licensed clinical waste collectors for delivery to a licensed disposal facility for disposal. * promulgating Codes of Practice to provide guidance for clinical waste producers and waste collectors. * setting up a consignment note system to track the movement of clinical waste from source to disposal facility. * designating the Chemical Waste Treatment Centre (CWTC) as the facility to treat clinical waste and levying a disposal charge for use of the facility.

Benefit reduced potential to spread infection less damage to the environment improved occupational health and safety for staff