Which waste streams must be strictly separated from regular trash in hazardous drug facilities?

• A. Hazardous chemo waste, including used PPE, empty HD containers, and contaminated materials.
• B. Recyclables only.
• C. Regular trash.
• D. Food waste.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that waste containing chemotherapy drugs or materials that have been exposed to them must be kept separate from regular trash. Hazardous chemo waste includes items like used personal protective equipment, empty containers that previously held HDs, and any contaminated materials. These items can still carry cytotoxic residues, so they need to be disposed of in designated hazardous waste streams and handled by trained staff through approved disposal channels. This separation protects workers from exposure, prevents cross‑contamination of the general waste, and ensures compliance with regulations governing hazardous pharmaceutical waste. Other waste streams—recyclables, regular trash, or food waste—do not carry the same cytotoxic risk and are not required to follow the same strict segregation.