Household Waste - Clinical Waste
What is clinical waste?
Clinical waste is defined in the Controlled Waste Regulations
1992. These regulations define it as any waste which consists
wholly or partly of:
- Human or animal tissue
- Blood or bodily fluids
- Excretions
- Medicines or other pharmaceutical products
- Swabs or dressings
- Syringes, needles, finger pricking devices and
lancets
What responsibility do I have?
If you treat yourself in your own home, it is
your responsibility to dispose of waste, clinical
or household, in a safe way.
Disposing of needles and syringes (clinical waste) – the safe
way
What is the right way to dispose of needles and syringes?
Any used needles or syringes must be put in a sharps bin.
Sharps bins are plastic containers designed for the safe disposal
of hazardous waste. Sharps bins are available on prescription
from your doctor. Please ask your GP surgery to prescribe one
for you. If you pay for prescriptions, normal prescription
charges will apply. Alternatively, your local Pharmacy could
sell one to you for less than the prescription charge. Bath
& North East Somerset Council are not able to provide sharps
boxes.
What is the wrong way to dispose of needles and syringes?
They should not be put loose into the dustbin as this presents a
serious hazard to staff that collect and dispose of waste. Some
people put their used needles and syringes into plastic bottles or
cans. Again, this is not a good idea because needles can puncture
these containers and harm staff involved in waste disposal.
Where do I keep my sharps bin?
Ideally, it should be kept near to where you regularly inject
yourself. Then used needles and syringes can be put into it
straightaway. Remember to keep it out of the reach of children.
What do I put in my sharps bin?
All needles, empty syringes, empty insulin cartridges and
lancets. Some patients use ‘B-D safe clip’ devices to remove the
needle from the syringe. This does not need to be done if the
needle and syringe are put straight into the sharps bin. You will
no longer need a B-D safe clip so please ask your GP practice to
remove this from your repeat prescription
What do I do with the sharps bin when it is three quarters
full?
The sharps bin must not go in your normal
domestic waste collection. It can be disposed of in one of
two ways:
- By contacting Council Connect on 01225 39 40
41 or via e-mail at councilconnect@bathnes.gov.uk
Please note the following;
- This service is only open to Bath and North East Somerset
domestic residents.
- The service is currently free of charge; however we can legally
levy a charge if it is deemed necessary.
- It is preferable if a new request for service is made on your
behalf by either your GP, District Nurse, Etc on official NHS
headed paper.
- We do not supply the ‘sharp boxes’, they are available on
prescription from the customers GP
- Collections will take place on either a Thursday or
Friday, and you can specify weekly, fortnightly or monthly
collection.
- Alternatively please contact Council Connect when your bin is
three quarters full and a collection will be scheduled for the
Thursday or Friday of the following working week dependant on the
area you live in within the district.
