Mrs. Carla De Marco1, Mrs. Susan Whyte1
1The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Australia
Biography:
Carla and Susan are Infection Prevention Clinical Nurse Consultants at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. With extensive experience in acute public hospitals, they are passionate about sustainability in healthcare. Both are active members of the newly formed ACIPC Sustainability Working Party, driving environmentally responsible practices in infection prevention and control.
Abstract:
At the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), all suspected or confirmed infectious waste is currently disposed of via the clinical waste stream, resulting in high costs and environmental burdens. Confusion around waste categorisation has led to overuse of clinical waste bins, often including items with negligible infectious risks.
The Infection Prevention Service conducted a comprehensive risk assessment of the waste handling processes, including observational audits, waste journey analysis, and benchmarking against other Victorian hospitals. This poster presents the rationale, risk assessment, and benefits of a revised approach, in alignment with Victorian EPA guidelines.
Observations revealed inconsistent staff practices and waste classification, with many items being unnecessarily categorised as clinical waste. Benchmarking against other hospitals uncovered variations in disposal protocols and the interpretation of the Victorian EPA guidelines, as well as variations in patient isolation practices. This highlighted the need to review and clarify the guidelines. A risk assessment determined that there is no increased risk of infection associated with either general or clinical waste management processes at RMH. Additionally, a cost analysis showed clinical waste costs RMH $3.50/kg; twelve times more than general waste, totalling over $1 million in FY 2023–24. Transitioning eligible waste to general waste could result in substantial cost savings and a reduction in carbon emissions.
Reclassifying certain infectious waste is both safe and cost-effective for RMH. Effective change requires clear policy development, staff education, audits, and stakeholder engagement. With evidence-based classification, RMH can pursue sustainable healthcare in waste management without compromising safety.