Healthcare Waste

Healthcare waste is the solid waste arising from healthcare activities. It consists of two types of waste.  

Domestic hospital waste is produced mainly by packaging and waste produced in hospital kitchens and it is similar to household waste.

The second type of waste is healthcare risk waste.  It includes biological, infectious, chemical, toxic, pharmaceutical, sharps and radioactive waste and generates 300 tonnes per annum within the South-East region.  Healthcare risk waste also arises from private clinics, veterinary practices, dental practices, general practitioners and chemists. 

The estimated quantity of healthcare waste produced in the South-East region is as follows:  

Regional Hospital Waste	Tonnes Per Annum
Risk Waste	300
Welfare homes	170
Hostels & Residential Units	600
Health Care Centres	80

 

 

Domestic hospital waste by County	Tonnes Per Annum
Carlow	930
Kilkenny	720
Tipperary (SR)	817
Waterford	580
Wexford	1,113
Total	5,310