4.2. Classifications, definitions and types of waste
Table 1 gives the classification of the waste generated at
the two hospitals, which is similar. Waste is classified as
general, medical and sharps. General waste is defined as
hospital waste that does not pose any immediate danger
to humans or the environment. Examples of general waste
include packaging materials such as cardboard, office
paper, leftover food, cans etc. Pathological waste is waste
that contains tissues, organs, placentas and other body
parts. Infectious waste is defined as waste that contains
pathogens in sufficient quantity that when exposed to it
can result in diseases. Examples of this waste include culture
plates, drainage bags, surgical and theatre wastes, contaminated
plastic items etc. Sharps are defined as anything
that could cause a cut or puncture leading to wound. Items
like needles, syringes, scalpels, knives, broken glass, etc.
form part of sharp wastes. All of these definitions are
consistent with those reported in the literature (Mato and
Kassenga, 1997; Lee et al., 2002; Mato and Kaseva,
1999). However, neither of the hospitals had a clear definition