Clinical waste colour codes explained: a UK guide
Updated 6 November 2026 · By the Clinical Waste Removal team
Short answer: Under the UK HTM 07-01 colour-coding system, orange is infectious waste for alternative treatment, yellow is infectious or medicinally contaminated waste for incineration, yellow-and-black tiger stripes are non-infectious offensive waste, purple is cytotoxic and cytostatic waste, blue is non-cytotoxic medicines, red is anatomical waste and white is dental amalgam. Sharps containers use orange, yellow or purple lids depending on whether the sharps are contaminated with medicines.
Bags and bins
| Colour | Waste type | Usual treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Orange | Infectious waste with no medicines or chemicals | Alternative treatment or incineration |
| Yellow | Infectious waste contaminated with medicines or chemicals | Incineration |
| Yellow and black (tiger) | Offensive, non-infectious hygiene waste | Energy recovery or landfill |
| Purple | Cytotoxic and cytostatic waste | High-temperature incineration |
| Blue | Non-cytotoxic medicines | Incineration |
| Red | Anatomical waste | Incineration |
| White | Dental amalgam and mercury | Mercury recovery |
| Black | General municipal waste | Normal waste route |
Sharps containers
- Orange lid: sharps not contaminated with medicines, such as acupuncture needles or blood-taking needles
- Yellow lid: sharps contaminated with medicines other than cytotoxic or cytostatic ones, such as used syringes
- Purple lid: sharps contaminated with cytotoxic or cytostatic medicines
Getting it right
Colour coding is guidance rather than law, but it is how most UK healthcare producers show they are segregating waste correctly, and it is what contractors and inspectors expect. Label every container with your details, never overfill, and keep streams separate in storage.
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