Weird Waste: what to do with medical waste
Weird Waste – what to do with medical waste such as needles
Our #WeirdWaste blog series is here to answer the age-old question: “how am I meant to dispose of this?”
We’re exploring how to recycle, reuse or dispose of unusual household items. Come with us, as we go beyond bottles, cans and card! Today, we’re going to tell you how to safely and legally dispose of medical waste such as needles in Bristol.
Never put hazardous medical waste in your normal bin or recycling containers
Clinical waste such as needles in the wrong bin is a serious hazard.
By taking the time to properly dispose of household medical waste, you keep our hardworking teams, your neighbourhood and our city safe from needle stick injuries and other serious harm.
Always use a proper clinical waste service
Bristol City Council provide clinical waste collections free of charge. Find out more and arrange your collection online here.
Depending on the type of clinical waste you’re disposing of, there might be local options for taking waste to a pharmacy or having the company supplying the products to safely collect used items.
Check online for specific information for where you live.
Top tips for using Bristol’s free clinical waste service:
- keep the waste separate from your normal bins and recycling
- sharps such as needles need to be in a special ‘sharps box’ which is a solid yellow plastic with a purple lid
- put other clinical or infectious waste in an orange sack
- not overfill the orange sack
- tie the orange sack securely
- use a second bag if waste is wet and heavy
If you’re looking for clinical waste collection for your business, visit our commercial web page and request a quote here.
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