Regulated medical waste (RMW) is generated during medical, research, or laboratory procedures and may be contaminated with infectious agents. The biohazard bag serves as the primary containment vessel for this waste. Because RMW poses a potential public health risk, its segregation and handling are governed by strict regulatory standards. A system of color-coding is mandated to ensure personnel correctly sort and safely transport different types of hazardous materials. This standardized color system signals the specific contents and the required method of final disposal for the waste inside.
Understanding the Standard Color System
Red is the most recognized color for infectious waste in the United States, associated with danger and required by regulations like OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. These standards specify that containers holding contaminated items must be red or display the universal biohazard symbol. Red bags are reserved for soft, saturated infectious materials, such as gauze, soiled PPE, and items visibly dripping with blood or other potentially infectious materials.
Yellow, or sometimes fluorescent orange, indicates a different hazardous waste stream. In US healthcare settings, yellow bags are designated for trace chemotherapy waste, including used gloves, gowns, and IV bags containing minimal residue of cytotoxic drugs. In European systems, yellow or orange may be used more broadly for general infectious clinical waste requiring specific incineration.
Categories of Waste Requiring Biohazard Bags
The contents placed inside these colored bags are known collectively as regulated medical waste (RMW). This category is defined by the potential presence of infectious agents and includes several distinct streams:
- Infectious waste, which includes laboratory cultures, stocks of microorganisms, and items contaminated with material from patients isolated due to communicable diseases.
- Pathological waste, which consists of human tissues, organs, body parts, and certain animal carcasses exposed to pathogens in research.
- Blood and blood products, which form a distinct category encompassing bulk quantities of human blood, serum, and plasma.
- Sharps, such as needles, scalpels, and broken glass, which must first be placed in rigid, puncture-resistant containers before disposal as biohazardous waste.
Treatment and Final Disposal Methods
Regulated medical waste must be treated to neutralize infectious or hazardous properties before final disposal. The two primary decontamination methods are autoclaving and incineration, and the bag color often determines the required method.
Autoclaving, or steam sterilization, uses pressurized steam to destroy microorganisms. This heat-based method is commonly applied to red bag waste, such as contaminated linens and laboratory plastics, and is favored for being cost-effective. Autoclaving is not suitable for pathological waste, large volumes of chemical waste, or heat-resistant materials.
For these complex materials, high-temperature incineration is required. Incineration involves burning the waste, which effectively reduces its volume by up to 90%. This process is necessary for the complete destruction of cytotoxic drugs and pathological tissues.
Specialized Biohazard Waste Streams
Specialized waste streams utilize colors beyond standard red to indicate unique handling and treatment requirements. Black bags or containers are designated for hazardous pharmaceutical waste, which includes chemicals and medications that pose a risk but are not infectious. This waste requires high-heat incineration to ensure the chemical components are completely destroyed.
Blue or sometimes clear bags identify non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste, such as expired or unused medications lacking a hazardous chemical component. Segregation prevents these drugs from entering the standard infectious waste stream, allowing for specialized disposal like chemical neutralization or incineration. The use of these distinct colors ensures that all regulated waste is managed safely and in compliance with environmental protection standards.