1. V01 August 2013. DIEM Ltd is not liable for the user of the guide causing damage, harm, pollution or injury in relation to their healthcare waste
management. Radioactive waste is excluded from this guidance note. All wastes are to be managed in accordance with current legislation .
Healthcare sharps container colour coding summary
The chart below summarises waste sharps container colour coding recommended by the
Department of Health in their Healthcare Waste Technical Memorandum HTM 07-01. All
other waste duty of care and hazardous waste legislation still apply
Container
Colour
Description
Yellow
container with
yellow lid
Sharps, medicinally contaminated, other than cytotoxic and cytostatic
Partially discharged sharps and pharmaceutical waste including those contaminated
with medicines other than those that are cytotoxic and cytostatic.
Disposal option is clinical waste incineration.
Classed as Hazardous Waste
Yellow
container with
orange lid
Sharps, non-medicinally contaminated
For England and Wales
Sharps not contaminated with medicinal products
Infectious, for clinical waste incineration only
Classed as Hazardous Waste
For Scotland and Northern Ireland
Sharps either fully discharged or those not used for administering medicine
Infectious, for clinical waste incineration only
Classed as Special Waste
Yellow
container with
purple lid
Sharps, contaminated with cytotoxic and cytostatic medicines
Clinical waste, mixed sharps and cytotoxic and cytostatic waste,
Infectious, for clinical waste incineration only
Classed as Hazardous Waste
Sharps
Sharps
Sharps