Non clinical waste from healthcare premises
Domestic type waste or mixed municipal waste from healthcare premises is similar to waste from domestic households. For example:
- newspapers, magazines and office papers
- sandwich wrappers
- drinks cans
Domestic type waste from healthcare premises does not include:
- sharps, chemicals medicines
- dental amalgam
- anatomical waste, eg body parts, organs or blood
- dressings and protective clothing, eg masks, gowns and gloves
- hygiene waste and sanitary protection, eg nappies and incontinence pads
- wastes contaminated with any body fluids
- personal or healthcare aerosols that are hazardous waste
- hand gel containers or dispensers (unless emptied and cleaned)
- fluorescent tubes
- any hazardous waste.
You should ensure that you thoroughly segregate your waste at source. If any of the above are present in the waste, it is not classed as domestic type waste.
Segregating your healthcare waste
Waste from healthcare premises containing items such as nappies and incontinence pads are classed as offensive waste.
Disposing of domestic type waste
Domestic type waste is classified as non-hazardous waste.
You must complete waste transfer notes for any waste that leaves your site. You must keep copies of all waste transfer notes for two years.
You must ensure that your waste is stored, handled, recycled or disposed of safely and legally. You must comply with your waste responsibilities, known as your duty of care.
Duty of care: Your waste responsibilities
You can dispose of refuse sacks by either non-hazardous landfill or waste incineration.
You should recycle as much of your domestic type waste as you can.
Recycling your healthcare business waste
Find licensed waste sites to recycle or dispose of your business waste in your local area using the NetRegs Waste Directory.
Containers for domestic type waste
For domestic type waste that cannot be recycled you should use black or clear refuse sacks.
How to complete the waste paperwork
Guidance is provided on classifying and describing waste types and how to complete a waste transfer note.
Waste Transfer Notes and How to Complete Them
If you have segregated your waste according to this guidance, you will need to classify the waste in the waste transfer note as follows:
Use the European waste catalogue code 20 03 01 Example description: Mixed municipal waste.
Further information
- Waste Thesaurus: SEPA guidance for coding waste An alphabetical list of waste types with their corresponding EWC codes.
- GOV.UK: Safe management of healthcare waste (UK-wide)
SEE ALSO: Duty of Care