Today is the last day for, receipt of tenders for the disposal of the public hospitals' annual 4,000 tonnes of dangerous health care waste. The all-Ireland contract for the major part of "risk waste", which includes sharp items and infected waste, will be awarded before the end of the month, according to the Department of Health, and services will become operational before the end of 1997.
The strategy envisages segregation of hospital waste into risk waste and domestic waste. This has the effect of reducing the quantity of risk waste from publicly funded hospitals to the present level.
The risk waste is to be disposed of by shredding and disinfection rather than incineration. Contractors will provide collection, transport treatment and disposal services.
North-South contact between, government departments last year concluded that a joint approach was needed.