We Provide a Comprehensive Clinical Waste Management Service to the Healthcare Industry
Clinical waste is the waste generated by health clinics, hospitals, dentists and other healthcare facilities that have the potential to cause infections or illnesses if not disposed of safely.
In the UK, there are legal obligations placed on organisations which must be complied with when it comes to handling, storing, removing and disposing of clinical waste.
All types of medical waste produced by your organisation must be packaged and collected according to its specific type. They must be kept separate from your general waste, recyclables or any other types of waste you produce.
To help you understand your duty of care towards the environment and towards the health and wellbeing of the general public, we have compiled a comprehensive guide on clinical waste disposal and its proper management.
What is Clinical Waste?
According to the World Health Organization, 16 billion injections are administered to people across the globe. In the UK alone, more than 600,000 tonnes of clinical waste is produced by the NHS.
Clinical waste can be defined as waste arising from nursing, dental, medical, pharmaceutical, veterinary or other kinds of similar practices which can include treatment, investigation, research, collection of bodily fluid samples, blood sample collections and transfusions.
Clinical waste also consists of animal and human tissues, excretions, swabs, syringes, dressings, sharp medical instruments, pharmaceutical products, drugs and other similar wastes which can prove to be harmful or hazardous to people.
Generally, clinical waste can be categorised into three main groups.
- Waste that can lead to infections and illnesses
- Waste that can pose chemical hazards
- Medical wastes that contain a pharmaceutically-active substance such as potassium.
Healthcare professionals often have a difficult time dealing with medical waste. We understand that they need to take care of clinical waste on a day-to-day basis which can be daunting and time-consuming.
We appreciate that different facilities and organisations have varying waste collection and disposal needs and therefore, we are committed to providing a service that is convenient, cost-efficient and suitable for different healthcare organisations.
Our comprehensive waste management services include fast, reliable and traceable disposal of all kinds of hazardous and non-hazardous waste. We offer a total waste management service that takes into account segregation, handling, storage, transportation and clinical waste disposal.
We understand that compliance with the laws and legal requirements is essential for businesses, and therefore we take all the measures necessary to handle your waste safely and responsibly. We will make sure that your waste management needs are fulfilled in accordance with all applicable laws.
Clinical Waste Disposal
Clinical waste must be packaged and stored correctly. For example, sharp needles must be stored in secured tight-lid containers. Other kinds of wastes can be segregated into yellow clinical waste bags, but these must be stored using lockable containers.
The disposal of clinical waste must take place at a facility that is licensed to handle medical waste. It will mostly be disposed of by incineration. However, on some occasions, it can also be sterilised at designated facilities.
Our healthcare customers are from both the private and the public sector, including health clinics, pharmacies, NHS Trusts, hospitals, general practitioners, ambulance services, mental health care centres, nursing homes, veterinary facilities, universities, dentists as well as research and development establishments.
We can assist small, medium and large organisations with their waste management goals. With our experience and expertise, we can help our customers opt for services which can help them improve waste segregation, boost recycling, divert as much waste as possible from landfills and enhance their environmental performance.
Depending on your needs and specific requirements, we can consult with you on-site and create a bespoke waste management service that is suitable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly. We can customise our services based on the volume of waste that you generate, and the frequency with which you generate it.
Dedicated Waste Collection Bins
Clinical waste can be hazardous and therefore you have to make sure that the bins you use to store the waste are secure and lockable.
At Utopia Waste, we can provide a wide range of bins and containers that are made specifically for medical waste. These bins are sealed automatically when waste has been pushed through them. We can even provide you with specialised clinical waste bags so you can store your waste away safely before they are removed from your premises by our professional team.
How is Clinical Waste Treated?
It is crucial to treat clinical waste for the protection of the general public, animals and the environment. Depending on the nature of the waste, special treatment may be required.
Firstly, clinical waste must be segregated into different types. For example, non-infectious waste must be separated from infectious waste. There is also a category for highly infectious waste which must be collected and stored in specialised bins.
The treatment procedures for different categories of healthcare waste varies. Highly infectious waste is often treated using high-temperature incinerators. Infectious waste undergoes a steam treating process in a specially designated facility. Non-infectious waste is treated to generate renewable energy which is then used by the National Grid.
How Can We Help
At Utopia Waste, we are dedicated to offering efficient and cost-effective waste management services that are tailored to the specific needs of each customer.
As waste management specialists, we offer a wide range of services that can be combined with clinical waste disposal to help you handle all your rubbish needs in one place. This includes general waste collections, dry mixed recycling, hazardous waste disposal and food waste collections.
We will ensure that you have total peace of mind when you choose us as your waste management partner. Our services are cost-effective, safe and environmentally friendly.
To find out more about the services we can offer, or for a free quote, contact us today using our online waste management quote form.