Standards for colour-coding of waste bins finalised

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry and several NGOs finalised the standards for colour-coding of hospital waste bins at a seminar in the city yesterday.

The colour-coding project, initiated by the environment ministry with the help of UNDP funding, will help protect those who handle medical waste from primary hazards such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV infections.

Among the beneficiaries are hospital cleaners, nurses and medical assistants.

Separation of medical waste at the hospital site is the first step in proper disposal of hazardous substances, according to Prism Bangladesh, a pioneering NGO in the area of medical waste management.

By colour-coding the products, medical waste can be separated into general and hazardous waste categories, allowing workers to take proper precautionary measures with regard to the kind of waste being handled.

Prism Bangladesh is currently exploring a number of options for collection and disposal -- the next step in the medical waste management process.

The standards that have been set are: black for general waste, yellow for hazardous waste, red for needle and other sharp instruments, green for recyclable products and blue for liquid waste.

Prism, Brac, Waste Concern and the Health Directorate were among the decision-makers at the seminar held at the IPSU (Institution and Policy Support Unit), a wing of the environment ministry.