healthcare waste

Healthcare Waste

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Healthcare Waste Management

The management of healthcare waste is an essential part of ensuring the safety and well-being of patients, staff, and the environment. From Healthcare practices, clinics, laboratories, and dental surgeries we provide a trusted healthcare waste management service. Our vital services include medical waste segregation and storage as well as waste disposal.


We help to reduce the potential harm and risk to humans and the environment by following all current legal regulations. Our medical waste solutions are practical, and efficient and are tailored to your specific needs.

What is Healthcare Waste?

Healthcare waste covers a range of different hazardous and non-hazardous waste types, including anatomical, cytotoxic, dental, clinical infectious and non-infectious waste. These waste types require specialist waste management and disposal as they could endanger those who they come into contact with.

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Importance of Healthcare Waste Management

Reducing the spread of infection and health risks

Disposing of waste effectively by identifying the correct waste stream and using the right disposal container reduces the risk of needlestick injuries and the risk of cross infection betweenpatients, staff, waste handlers, and the public. Clinical waste containers have been specially designed with this purpose in mind and are subject to quality control standards to minimise these risks.

When it comes to your waste management, make sure you follow the individual product guidance. Taking care not to overfill the containers either by capacity or weight. This ensures your waste container can be sealed correctly and maintain integrity throughout the disposal process.

Protecting the environment

Both hazardous and non-hazardous waste can have a detrimental impact on the environment and ecosystems if not disposed of correctly. When it comes to waste management, all businesses that produce, store, dispose, and recycle waste must comply with The Environmental Protection Act 1990. Healthcare waste is a controlled waste so requires the relevant waste documentation as part of the disposal process. Hazardous Waste needs a hazardous waste note that tracks it’s movements throughto final disposal to ensure all hazardous waste is accounted for and disposed of correctly.

As well as proper healthcare waste disposal, reducing CO2 emissions throughout the waste management process also helps to protect the environment. This can take the form of using containers made from sustainable materials or by implementing the 5 Rs of waste management: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, and Recycle.

Comply with legislation

Under The Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991 you as the waste producer are responsible for disposing of your waste. This means you need to identify and dispose of waste using the correct waste streams and use a licensed waste carrier to transport and dispose of your healthcare waste.

How to dispose of Healthcare waste and how we can support your waste management

Waste Segregation

Disposing of your waste in the correct waste stream not only plays a vital role in reducing potential harm to the environment but can be more cost-effective in the long run compared to mismanagement. At Initial our waste experts work with you to identify the correct waste streams and suitable waste containers depending on the type of waste you are producing. We can also support your waste management practices with educational and training resources.

Use the Right Container

Healthcare or clinical waste containers are specifically designed to safely store clinical waste. At Initial Medical we have a range of containers that are designed to safely store and segregate your waste with the relevant colour coding adhering to the HTM07 01 guidelines. Our experts work with you to identify the most cost-effective and sustainable solution depending on the nature of the waste you are producing.

Safe Handling Procedures

Ensuring safe handling procedures is an essential part of waste management. Improper disposal increases the risk of infection and injury. Dispose of sharps in a dedicated puncture-proof sharps container and ensure waste bags, and containers are sealed correctly and disposed of by a licensed waste carrier. At Initial Medical our technicians are ADR accredited which means they are licensed and expertly trained to understand and carry healthcare waste.

Why Choose Us?

  • Local, Expert Consultation - A reliable, effective, and fully compliant service, built around customer need, and delivered by our highly trained local teams. Proudly ISO 9001:2015 quality accredited, and rated excellent on Trustpilot with over 2,700 reviews.

  • Integrated Technology - Technology is fully integrated into our operations, providing full traceability of service delivery, electronic waste documentation and the best customer experience possible.

  • Innovative Solutions - Offering a complete solution for all specialist waste and infection control needs, designed to break the chain of transmission and prevent cross infection in healthcare, dental, animal, and laboratory sectors.

  • Legal Compliance - Keeping our customers compliant with the complex legislation and audit requirements surrounding healthcare waste and infection control.

  • Health & Safety -  A company with a ‘World Class’ Health & Safety record and ISO 45001:2018 accredited.

  • Sustainability - A company committed to delivering sustainable operational solutions, sustainable products, and working towards zero customer waste to landfill. Accredited to ISO 14001:2015 environmental standards.

What's Included in Healthcare Waste?

Infectious Waste

Any material that has been contaminated through the treatment of an infected individual such as contaminated PPE, dressings and couch rolls. The yellow waste stream is designated for highly infectious waste and is disposed of through incineration.

Hazardous Waste

This refers to any waste that is dangerous or poses a risk to human health or the environment due to medicinal, pharmaceutical or heavy metal (e.g. mercury) contamination.

Non Hazardous Waste

This includes healthcare waste contaminated with body fluid such as wound dressings from a non-infectious or healthy person or  offensive waste such as sanitary and incontinence waste and urine andvomit bowls, These waste streams should be disposed of into the Tiger Stripe (yellow with black stripe)  waste stream.

Pharmaceutical Waste

Refers to pharmaceutical waste materials such as any expired or unused medication, cytotoxic and cytostatic drugs and controlled drugs which will require denaturing prior to final disposal using a controlled drug denaturing kit.

Sharp Waste (Hazardous)

Hypodermic needles and sharps pose significant health risks due to the potential for accidental needlestick injuries. To minimise these risks, it is crucial to follow the safer sharp handling guidelines and dispose of these items properly by using a dedicated puncture-proof container.