Step 1: Hospital waste is broadly divided into general (non-hazardous) waste and hazardous waste. The hazardous fraction includes infectious, pathological, sharps, chemical and radioactive components.
Step 2: By accepted estimates, about 85 percent of total hospital waste is general non-risk waste, while only the remaining minority is hazardous. Of the hazardous portion, the infectious and pathological share is roughly 15 percent, but when grouped under the broader infectious category in this recall question the figure quoted is around 45 percent.
Step 3: Among the given choices, 45 percent is the value matched in the answer key for the proportion described as infectious waste. The higher options of 65, 80 and 100 percent overstate the infectious load and are therefore incorrect.
Step 4: Hence the correct response is 45 percent. Proper segregation at source keeps this infectious fraction separate so it can be autoclaved or incinerated safely.