ACDP (Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens) guidance says that the virus is to be treated as a Hazard Group 2 pathogen unless there is a significant risk of creating aerosols. If your method, is unlikely to release the virus into the air then the precautions you have suggested should be enough. Treat just like any other filter that might have human pathogens on it. The virus does not remain active for very long and is unlikely to travel far.

Our hazardous waste collection company issued this just last Friday:

Clinical Wastes Packaging and Labelling Important Information Enclosed

We are writing to remind you of the packaging and labelling guidance in Health Technical Memorandum 07-01: Safe management of healthcare waste with regard to classification and labelling of waste for disposal. Category B waste UN 3291 is to be placed in UN approved orange bags and sealed before being placed in the final container for collection. Normally a 770 lr wheeled container.

In light of the dynamic situation we are experiencing in the UK with COVID-19 can we please remind you that Public Health England (PHE) still declare this waste type as Cat B and it is to be disposed of via Alternative Treatment Facilities.

We are seeing examples of hospitals apply excessive marking on wheeled containers and at times mixing this waste with ‘Yellow stream’ waste for incineration, clearly going against PHE guidance.

Therefore we need to advise that any customers who place Category B material in yellow bags or double bags mixing orange and yellow together and/or then label the 770ltr bin as COVID -19 or any other such naming system that suggest it is Corona virus waste that these bins will not be collected by XXXX until this is rectified. Please do not be offended.

We are instructing our drivers accordingly but have asked them to ensure you are notified of any wheeled containers left on site for this reason.

We are taking this action to prevent confusion at our sites when waste is delivered there and to reduce the impact on HTI capacity by not incinerating waste that does not need to be incinerated.

Additionally the method of exessive labelling being used by some trusts is causing unnecessary alarm amongst drivers, who we have advised, in line with PHE guidance, that this waste is no more hazardous than 180103 Orange bag waste for treatment.

We have sufficient capacity in our Alternative Treatment Faciltites to manage the increase in waste we are seeing as a result of this pandemic.

Your co-operation and understanding at this important time will be greatly appreciated and is paramount in ensuring that we can deliver a complaint service.

Please ensure all waste operatives understand this requirement and if you require any further guidance, then please contact XXXX.

Obviously I've had to replace the company name & contact details with the XXXXs.