China has historically paid little attention to the proper management of medical waste, as is the case for many other developing countries. By the end of 2003, the Ministry of Health had issued the first official act addressing the control of medical waste under the waste management act and infectious ill control act, named Medical Waste Control Act 380 (China Department of State, 2003). The first act attributes specific responsibilities to the various sectors involved: generators, sanitation and environment. Act 380 states that generators are mandated to properly manage medical waste and that centralized disposal of medical waste is required in China. The act also specified definitions, principles and the procedures for collection, transportation, temporary storage and disposal of medical waste. According to Act 380, medical waste is defined as any solid waste that is generated by medical treatment facilities and laboratory facilities operating in hospital settings that is considered to be potentially hazardous to human health. In the same year that Act 380 was passed, the Ministry of Health and State Environmental Protection Administration issued Regulation 287 related to the medical waste category (China Ministry of Health, 2003). According to Regulation 287, waste generated from healthcare facilities is classified into five main groups, listed in Table 1.