Legislative and policy aspects of hospital waste

National legislation is the basis for improving health-care waste practices in any country. It establishes legal controls and permits the national agency responsible for the disposal of health-care waste, usually the ministry of health, to apply pressure for their implementation. The ministry of environment or national environmental protection agency may also be involved; there should be a clear designation of responsibilities before the law is enacted. The law should be complemented by a policy document, and by technical guidelines developed for implementation of the law. This legal “package” should specify regulations on treatment for different waste categories, segregation, collection, storage, handling, disposal, and transport of waste, responsibilities, and training requirements; it should take into account the resources and facilities available in the country concerned and any cultural aspects of waste-handling.