Clinical and hazardous waste

Clinical waste

Clinical waste collections are to be divided into three waste types:

• sharps
• infectious waste
• offensive waste

We can collect clinical waste from your home if we receive a referral from your GP, nurse or healthcare practitioner. Please speak to your GP or call the district nurse team.

We cannot collect unused drugs or pharmaceutical products – you should return these to the chemist that dispensed them.

Nor can we collect cytotoxic waste (sharps bins with purple lids)  – please speak to your healthcare practitioner for further advice.

If you're a business or organisation that requires clinical waste collection, please get in touch so we can arrange this for you.

Sharps

Do not dispose of sharps in your normal household waste or recycling bins.

Only sharp boxes with yellow lids (no other colours) will be collected. Please go back to your GP or Doctor for any other lids.

Please secure all needles, sharps and syringes in your sealed sharps bin, never in yellow bags or mixed with other waste. Your healthcare provider can supply you with empty sharps bins. Put out the waste ready for collection on your designated day. We do not provide storage bins for clinical waste.

Infectious waste

Infectious waste can consist of:

• human blood and blood products
• human body fluids
• microbiological waste
• pathological waste
• waste generated by dialysis

Your GP, nurse or healthcare practitioner will need to assess this waste to determine whether or not it's infectious and can then refer you for a special collection.

Offensive waste

Offensive waste includes nappy waste and incontinence pads, sanitary hygiene waste, and protective garments such as masks and gloves, or outer dressings that are not contaminated with bodily fluids. 

Double bag the used item, seal it and dispose of it in your black household waste bin (or your blue bin if you live in an estate property). 

If your household produces a large amount of extra waste, such as for incontinence pads, you can request a bigger bin.

Hazardous waste

Hazardous waste cannot be disposed of with your normal household waste - it may be dangerous to human health or the environment.

You can dispose of some hazardous household waste items yourself at the Refuse and Recycling Centre on Landmann Way in New Cross. This includes:

• televisions and computer monitors
• fridges and freezers
• batteries
• fluorescent light bulbs
• gas bottles
• engine oil

For other hazardous waste such as asbestos and boxed chemicals, you will need to arrange for a hazardous waste collection from the City of London. If you want to arrange a collection or would like more information regarding the service, please visit the City of London's website or call them on 020 7332 3433.