Clinical Waste

What is clinical waste?

Clinical Waste is something which consists of and unless rendered safe may prove hazardous to any person coming into contact with.

• human or animal tissue;
• blood or bodily fluids;
• excretions;
• drugs or other pharmaceutical products;
• swabs or dressings; or;
• syringes, needles or other sharp instruments; 

What controls are there on the disposal of clinical waste?

Hazardous Clinical Waste can only be collected by specialised company’s, who have staff trained to collect the waste in a modified & licensed vehicle. All hazardous clinical waste must be incinerated.

Non hazardous clinical waste can be co-mingled into the household domestic waste and disposed of using the black wheeled bin. To reduce any chance of leakage or contamination, and reduce any odours it is suggested that non-hazardous clinical waste is double wrapped.

Please note: Tameside Council no longer collect Clinical Waste from business premises.

What about clinical waste produced in a private household?

Hypodermic needles and hazardous clinical wastes should never be disposed of in the domestic waste stream.

If patients are treated in their home by a community nurse or a member of the NHS profession:

Any waste produced as a result is considered to be the healthcare professional's waste.

If the waste is non-hazardous, and as long as it is appropriately bagged and sealed, it is acceptable for the waste to be disposed of with household waste. This is usually the case with sanitary towels, nappies and incontinence pads (known collectively as sanpro waste) which are not considered to be hazardous when they originate from a healthy population.

If the waste is classified as hazardous the healthcare professional can remove that waste and transport it in approved containers (i.e. rigid, leak proof, sealed, secured etc) and take it back to the trust base for appropriate disposal.

Alternatively, the trust can make arrangements for the disposal of the waste with an appropriate waste contractor for which a charge may be made.

If patients treat themselves in their own home:

Any waste produced as a result is considered to be their own. Only where a particular risk has been identified (based on medical diagnosis) does such waste need to be treated as hazardous clinical waste.

In these cases, local authorities are obliged to collect the waste separately when asked to do so by the waste holder, but may make a charge to cover the cost of collection.

Are there any special arrangements for hypodermic needles produced in the home?

Sharps bins can be obtained on prescription (FP10 prescription form) and can be returned to your doctor for disposal when full.

There is also a duty on local authorities to collect and dispose of household generated waste including clinical/sharps waste from households. However, collection of clinical/sharps waste does not arise until a person requests such a service.

Local authorities may then levy a reasonable charge on the waste holder for the collection of that waste. On no account should soft drink cans, plastic bottles or similar containers be used for the disposal of needles, since these could present serious hazards to staff if they were disposed of in domestic waste.

Contact Information
Send us a Message	Refuse Collection Tameside MBC Tame Street Stalybridge Cheshire SK15 1ST View local map
0161 342 8355
0161 342 2775