Indian Society of Hospital Waste Management is a registered body of professionals to address the issues and concerns of hospital waste at the national level, and to facilitate/advocate/undertake research activities on issues of hospital waste management and eco-friendly disposal.

The Government of India has published a Gazette notification on 20 Jul 1998 making all persons who generate, collect, receive, store, transport, treat, dispose or handle medical waste in any form responsible for handling the medical waste without any adverse effect to human health and the environment.

Consequent to the publication of above Gazette Notification on Bio-medical Waste Management, it has become mandatory for various hospitals and health institutions to implement these rules (as amended). The rules came into effect in the beginning of Dec 1999, and all hospitals were to implement these rules not later than December 2002 depending upon the bed strength of the hospital. However even at the end of the mandated period proper healthcare waste management at the hospitals and other healthcare facilities is yet to be established to the complete satisfaction of the rules. 

Since Hospital Waste Management will be a perpetual problem in future, it was felt that there should be an all India Organization/Society comprising of experts/specialists from various disciplines involved in Hospital Waste Management. This Society will provide conceptual guidance and oversee scientific research for further development. 

With this important aspect in mind, the Registrar of Society at Delhi was approached for registration of 'Indian Society of Hospital Waste Management (ISHWM)'. 

In consideration of the above facts Indian Society of Hospital Waste Management (ISHWM) was formed on the 10 Apr 2000, and registered under Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 with Registration Number 36939.