Dual compartment sterilizable waste containment unit

A reusable article which is a container for collecting and safely containing mixed medical waste to be sterilized in the container, comprising:

• a rigid walled container having walls and a perimeter rim containing the mouth of a soft waste cavity and the mouth of a sharp waste compartment, the mouth of the sharp waste compartment being formed by a radially inwardly and downwardly extending wall connected to the perimeter rim and partially defining the mouth of the soft waste, cavity;
• a sharp waste compartment defined by said radially inwardly and downwardly extending wall in said container, having its mouth encompassed within said rim area for collecting and containing sharp waste separately;
• a closure removably mounted on the rim and having a large opening leading into the mouth of the soft waste cavity, which is sized to permit easy access for the deposit of soft waste;
• a liftable cover hingedly mounted on the article, said cover having a lifted position which exposes the large opening in the closure for disposal of soft waste into the soft waste cavity and an unlifted position wherein said cover closes the large opening to prevent disposal of soft waste into said soft waste cavity.

A reusable article which is a container for collecting and safely containing mixed medical waste to be sterilized in the container, comprising:

• an upright rigid walled container having an upper perimeter rim defining and circumscribing the mouth of a large soft waste cavity in the container and partially defining the mouth of a smaller sharp waste compartment in the container;
• the remainder of the mouth of the smaller sharp waste compartment being defined by a radially inwardly extending wall extending radially inwardly from the upper perimeter rim and extending downwardly from the rim to a bottom to form a separate sharp waste compartment in the container;
• a liftable cover hingedly mounted on said article, having an unlifted position over the mouths of the soft waste cavity and the sharp waste compartment, the cover having a wall having a port located over the soft waste cavity;
• the unlifted cover preventing access to the soft waste cavity, the soft waste cavity being accessible for disposal of soft waste only when said cover is lifted.