Clinical Waste

Clinical waste must not be collected with other types of household waste as it may be infectious or hazardous to people coming into contact with it. Very little waste that is generated in the home falls within the tightly controlled definition of clinical waste.

What we collect

Household clinical waste

Dialysis waste

We collect dialysis waste for residents who are receiving home dialysis. This needs to be arranged by your Clinical Commissioning Group or the healthcare team responsible for your care.

Clinical (infectious) waste

We collect clinical waste from residents who are treating themselves at home under the guidance of a GP or healthcare professional. This service is for infectious waste only, such as swabs and dressings. To use this service we require evidence from your GP or healthcare team confirming that you are treating yourself at home and what waste you are producing. Please contact our Customer Services team on 01480 388640.

Sharps

Sharps that are contained within a sharps box can be taken free of charge to a pharmacy that accepts patient returns. Please refer to the list below to find your closest participating pharmacy:

To arrange a home collection of used sharps, please contact our Customer Services team on 01480 388640. There is a charge of £8 per collection for sealed sharps containers.

All of our clinical waste is currently collected by an outside contractor. If you require a clinical waste collection, please be aware your details will need to be shared for collections to take place.

Hygiene waste

Hygiene waste is not hazardous and does not require specialist treatment or disposal. You can dispose of hygiene waste in your household waste collection.

Hygiene waste can include:

• incontinence pads

• catheter and stoma bags

• syringes with needles removed

• tubing and peg or stomach feeding equipment

• nappies

• sanitary waste

• plasters (minor first aid or self-care) generated by personal use

• animal hygiene waste (animal bedding, dog faeces etc).

To minimise any odours please double wrap the waste in a plastic bag and tie it up. If you don't have enough space in your refuse wheeled bin for this waste, you may be allowed an additional bin.

If you currently have a sack collection service, this waste can be disposed of in the blue sacks.

Cardboard packaging, aerosol sprays and bottles of nutrition for stomach feeding are recyclable and can be put in your household recycling collection.

Commercial hygiene waste

Business premises such as residential or nursing homes should follow the same guidance as householders, however the waste should be put in your commercial waste bins. If we currently collect your commercial waste we can provide additional bins to suit your needs. Normal charges would apply.

What we don’t collect

Commercial clinical waste

We do not offer a service to remove clinical waste from commercial premises at this time. Please find a private contractor who offers this service.