Biohazard Waste Industry

About BWI

The Biohazard Waste Industry Australia & NZ (BWI) division was formed in 1994 (changing its name from ANZCWMIG in 2007) to develop and promote consistent standards for the management of biohazardous wastes based on best practice. Members of BWI include waste transporters/disposal facility operators, consultants to the healthcare sector, tertiary institutions, medical device manufacturers and other stakeholders.

If you are a clinical waste generator, you may be interested in joining BWI's Associate Health Care Group. For further information on the group’s activities, how to join the group, and fees associated with BWI membership, please contact the WMRR national office on 02 8746 5000.

Industry Code of Practice for Managing Biohazardous Waste

In December 2020, the Division released the 8th edition of the Industry Code of Practice: Managing Biohazardous Waste (Including Clinical and Related Wastes), which details environmental best practice in the safe and cost-effective handling, transport, treatment and disposal of biohazardous waste in Australia and New Zealand. The Code brings together minimum regulatory requirements combined with a best practice approach to managing biohazardous waste. It is intended to be outcome-focused, rather than prescriptive, to help industry move towards environmental best practice, irrespective of the treatment and/or disposal technologies used. 

The Code covers: 

• Definitions

• Waste Classifications and segregation

• Management responsibilities

• Home healthcare waste

• Waste containment

• Storage requirements

• Transportation

• Treatment and disposal facilities

• Disposal of treatment residues

• Workplace Health & Safety

• Education & training

• Stakeholder relations

This edition also includes guidance on the safe and appropriate handling of pandemic (or similar) waste. 

Financial WMRR members may download the Code here  - members must first log in to the member portal to access this page.

If you are not a member but would like to purchase a copy of the Code ($50 including GST), please contact the WMRR office at [email protected]

The Code FAQs

To assist stakeholders in understanding the Code and what best practice biohazardous waste management entails, the BWI division has also developed FAQs based on key chapters of the Code. These FAQs summarise some of the commonly asked questions and are free to download:

• Biohazardous Waste Generators

• Education and Training

• Handling and Containing Biohazardous Waste

• Home Healthcare Waste

• Storing Biohazardous Waste

• Transporting Biohazardous Waste

• Treating and Disposing of Biohazardous Waste

• Waste Management Plans and Audits

• Workplace Health and Safety 

Clinical and related waste management guidance on COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

BWI has developed guidance to assist in providing direction to hospitals, aged and health care providers managing COVID-19 affected materials, and to assist those who are managing waste, both within and outside of these facilities. 

In the wake of the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), many stakeholders, including hospitals, aged and health care providers, are considering the additional measures to ensure the appropriate management of waste from patients, confirmed or suspected, infected with COVID-19.

This statement seeks to offer general guidance to stakeholders. BWI also recommends that organisations contact and work with their waste management providers if they have any specific questions or require further information. This guidance can be found here. 

Getting in touch with the Division

The following organisations and individuals are members of the Biohazard Waste Industry (BWI) division of the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia. BWI members are actively involved in developing and reviewing this Code of Practice.