Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, waste segregation is recommended into which two categories?

• A. Recyclable and non-recyclable waste
• B. Domestic and industrial waste
• C. Hazardous and non-hazardous waste
• D. Clinical and non-clinical waste

Answer: (D)

The question tests how waste should be separated to manage risk and ensure proper disposal. In healthcare settings the standard split under the regulatory framework is clinical waste versus non-clinical waste. Clinical waste includes materials that may be contaminated or hazardous—such as used dressings, sharps, infectious waste, and certain medicines—requiring special handling and disposal through licensed routes (often incineration or other controlled treatment). Non-clinical waste covers general, non-hazardous waste generated by routine operations, like clean paper, packaging, and other materials not contaminated with bodily fluids.

Separating waste this way keeps infectious or hazardous materials out of the general stream, protecting staff, patients, and the environment, and ensures each type is treated and disposed of in the appropriate manner. Other categorizations exist in different contexts (like hazardous versus non-hazardous or recyclable versus non-recyclable), but for the healthcare application related to the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the clinical versus non-clinical split is the intended approach.