Waste Disposal
The Environmental Protection Act 1990
Under this act, anyone that disposes of waste has a duty of care to ensure that waste is disposed of safely.
Subjects covered by the Environmental Protection Act 1990 are as follows:
- Waste management
- Noise pollution
- Neighbourhood pollution
- Radioactive substances
- Genetically Modified organisms
- Nature Conservation
Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, it is unlawful to deposit, recover or dispose of controlled (including clinical) waste without a waste management licence, contrary to the conditions of a licence or the terms of an exemption, or in a way which causes pollution of the environment or harm to human health. Contravention of waste controls is a criminal offence. Section 34 of the act places people concerned with controlled (including clinical) waste under a duty of care to ensure that the waste is managed properly, recovered or disposed of safely and is only transferred to someone who is authorised to keep it. Householders are exempt for their own household waste.
Hazardous healthcare waste is subject to the requirements of the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005. [Extract is taken from Gov.UK website https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-waste 30th June 2014]
All commercial businesses must have a waste removal contract with either the council or a private waste removal company. If you produce less than one bin bag full of clinical waste per collection, then you can dispose of clinical waste such as cotton wool and tissues in with a normal waste collection. If you produce more than this per collection, then a suitable clinical waste contract must be obtained.
Sharps Disposal
Anything sharp that could pierce or has pierced skin should be put into the correct category of sharps disposal. We can give you a hand if you’re not sure what kind of sharps disposal you need. Any of the below should be disposed of in a sharps bin:
- Needles
- Scalpels
- Stitch cutters
- Glass ampoules
- Sharp instruments
- Shards of bone and teeth
- Syringes
- Lancets
- Razor blades
Your Sharps waste needs to be disposed of in a dedicated sharps bin of a suitable size which we will provide you with as part of your contract. From there, it is incinerated.
If you’re producing hazardous waste, you have a duty of care to ensure that it’s housed and disposed of in the most appropriate way.
You will need to employ the services of a specialist waste disposal company that will safely remove your sharps boxes when full, along with any other hazardous waste.
These companies can be on a pay as you go contract or set up a regular collection. Enhance me uses sterling washrooms clinical waste collection colchester essex – Sterling Washroom Services Ltd as these are local to us.