Guidance on how to dispose of clinical waste safely.
What is clinical waste
Clinical waste is waste produced from healthcare and similar activities, which unless rendered safe may prove hazardous to any person who comes into contact with it. Clinical waste is classified as the following:
- human or animal tissue
- blood, bodily fluids and human excretions
- drugs or other pharmaceutical products
- swabs or dressings
- syringes, needles or other sharp instruments
- any other medical, nursing, dental, veterinary, pharmaceutical or similar practice waste.
Clinical waste should never be put in your grey, red or green bin.
Disposing of household clinical waste
Items purchased for yourself such as dressings and plasters can be put in your grey bin.
Hypodermic needles, hazardous clinical waste (including prescribed drugs and pharmaceutical goods) should never be put in your grey, red, or green bin.
If you are treated in your home by a community nurse or NHS member, any waste produced as a result is considered to be the healthcare professional's waste and it is their duty of care to arrange for its collection and/or disposal.
If this is not possible, then we are obliged to collect the waste separately when asked by the healthcare professional and can make a charge to cover the cost of collection.
How to register for a clinical waste collection
For residents to receive clinical waste collection, a healthcare professional must formally engage with us, Slough Borough Council.
A letter of authorisation must be provided from a doctor, community nurse, health visitor, home care assistant, hospital, or social services, stating they are formally requesting collection of clinical waste from the property of a resident. The letter should be addressed to:
Slough Borough Council
Chalvey Transfer Station
White Hart Road
Slough, Berkshire
SL1 2SF
On receipt of the letter, residents will be contacted to confirm details and arrangements. A yellow clinical sack will be provided by the clinical waste collection contractor with instructions. There may be a charge for this service and collections are usually made on a weekly basis on a Monday.
Disposing of commercial clinical waste
Businesses must make their own arrangements for the collection of clinical waste and must make sure they comply with all 'duty of care' requirements for the collection and disposal of hazardous waste.