Clinical waste
Clinical waste is any waste that poses a threat of infection to humans. The term also includes drugs or other pharmaceutical products.
Clinical waste is mainly produced by hospitals, health clinics, doctors' surgeries and veterinary practices, but also arises from residential homes, nursing homes and private households.
Examples of clinical waste include:
- Human or animal tissue
- Blood or other bodily fluids
- Excretions
- Drugs or other pharmaceutical products
- Swabs or dressings
- Syringes, needles or other sharp instruments
Where needles are provided by a health service they should also provide you with a 'sharps box' in which to store used needles. Ask the supplier of the sharps box for more information regarding its disposal.
Nappies are not classified as clinical waste and do not need to be collected separately from your house. Either use modern cotton nappies (very different to the terry towelling kind used in the past) or wrap them carefully and dispose of with your normal refuse collection.
If you are in a nursery, nappies collected separately are clinical waste. You should contact your waste collection contractor for further advice.
What should I do with clinical waste?
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