This work is based on professional literature of the resource management of medical waste. Its purpose was to draw attention to the fact that a threat to us and to our environment are a medical waste, which are formed in units of medicines in Poland. The problem is particularly significant because of the scale and universality of the phenomenon. The work explains the basic issues of medical waste as a source of infection, improper methods of classification, segregation, collection, as well as the conditions and methods for their disposal. Placing requirements on the treatment of medical waste arises from the need to counteract against the threats posed and to ensure the effectiveness of the disposal of such waste every method used.

Key words: medical waste, source of infection, environment, civilization.