It is lawful to discharge liquid waste into the sanitary sewer system and it is no surprise that the local sewer authorities be concerned with the components of such waste. It is important to know the type of liquid waste being flushed down the tubes to adequately provide secondary treatment. Much of the waste treated by autoclaving and shredding ends up at the sanitary landfill. Incinerator ash also finds its way to the landfill. It is important to note that the treatment of medical waste varies based on the type of waste.
Medical waste is also very likely to undergo more than one process.
Hospitals and doctors, for example, generate, treat and store waste. Specific containers and drums are used to store waste, which will later be transported to off-site treatment locations. Red bags are steam sterilized using specific tags, which change color. The tags are used to identify sterilized red bags from infectious red bag. This provides some reassurance for the sanitation workers.