Medical Waste

We provide free household medical waste collections of sharps boxes and orange sacks for residents only. For businesses, please seek an alternative arrangement.

Collections take place on Tuesdays.

Loose sharps will not be collected; they should be presented in a yellow sharps bin.

Bins can be presented at designated locations as indicated on the form. Please be aware that if you live in a flat or similar, our waste team are unable to enter your building. Please leave your locked box in your communal bin store or contact us for further advice if this not possible.

We are unable to offer customers the delivery of a container without a collection; you should ask your doctor/hospital for the initial container. We can provide replacements as part of this service.

Our waste contractor, Amey is NOT licensed to carry unused medication. Any unused medication should be taken to your local pharmacy.

Box for sharps

A sharps box should be used to safely dispose of needles, hypodermic needles and scalpels. These items should never be put in your general rubbish bin.

Orange sack

A health or care professional will advise you of what waste should go in the orange sack, such as:

• swabs and wound dressings or bandages
• wound vacuum drains or pump

Only waste that could be harmful should go in the orange sack. Any other waste should go into your general waste bin.

Apply for Medical Waste Collection

Other medical waste

All other medical waste can go in your general waste bin.

You might wish to double wrap in a plastic bag when necessary.

These include:

• dressings and bandages that will not be harmful to others
• stoma bags
• catheter waste (please empty the contents in the toilet)
• ‘peg’ or stomach feeding equipment
• empty saline or glucose IV bags and tubing from home dialysis
• incontinence pads
• sanitary product
• blister packs

Cardboard packaging, and plastic or glass bottles can go in your recycling.