Patent ID: 8355994

Claim:
A sorting system for composite waste, comprising: a plurality of container compartments, each container compartment configured to receive a container; a plurality of containers, each container having an associated waste category, configured to be placed within the container compartments; an input device configured to receive information associated with a composite waste item, wherein said composite waste item comprises a combination of a first drug and a second drug; wherein said first drug has a different hazard level than said second drug; a control system configured to determine that said composite waste item is capable of being classified into two or more waste categories; wherein the control system is further configured to determine a hazard level for said first drug and said second drug; wherein the control system is further configured to classify said composite waste item into a waste category associated with the higher hazard level of said first drug or said second drug; wherein the control system is further configured to open one of the containers corresponding to the classified waste category associated with said higher hazard level; wherein the opened container is configured to receive said composite waste item for disposal.