If you or someone in your household is being treated for a health condition, the waste produced may be considered either as clinical waste or medical waste and could be hazardous.
How do I arrange a clinical waste or medical waste collection?
You will need to complete a Clinical/Medical Waste Assessment form. This will ask questions about the type and quantity of clinical/medical waste you produce. It must be verified by a healthcare professional such as your GP or community nurse. We may also visit you to ensure the service we provide meets your needs.
You can download the above form or if you prefer you can ring 01384 814788 and we will post it to you.
Please complete the form and send it to:
- Submit your form to clinical.waste@dudley.gov.uk
Or post your form to:
Neighbourhoods - Waste Collection & Disposal
Communities & Growth
Lister Road Depot
Lister Road
Dudley
DY2 8JW
Upon receipt of your form, we will contact you to review your clinical or medical waste requirements. For residents who need to dispose of medical waste we can arrange a larger or additional bin at no extra cost. For those who require clinical waste collections appropriate arrangements will be put in place in line with service requirements, clinical waste collection services are also provided free of charge.
Medical waste incudes normally non-infectious medical offensive waste such as incontinence pads, Stoma bags and catheters. These items are only classed as clinical if the person has a known infectious disease.
How do I report a missed clinical waste collection?
You can report a missed clinical waste collection by calling 01384 814788 or by emailing clinical.waste@dudley.gov.uk
Please note two consecutive failed collections may result in the service being suspended.
Further information
What is clinical waste?
Clinical waste refers to any waste that consists wholly or partly of:
- blood or other bodily fluids
- excretions
- swabs, dressings or bandages
- renal dialysis waste
- syringes, needles or other sharp instruments which may prove hazardous to anyone coming into contact with it
Clinical waste also refers to any other waste arising from medical, nursing, dental, veterinary, pharmaceutical or similar practice, investigation, treatment, teaching or research.
What is medical waste?
Medical waste may consist of:
- incontinence pads
- empty stoma bags
- disposable bed pans/liners
- empty urine containers
Unless made safe, this type of waste may prove hazardous to anyone coming into contact with it.
If you are treated by a healthcare professional
If you are treated in your own home by a community nurse or a member of the NHS profession, any waste produced is their responsibility. They should arrange for its removal and safe disposal.
If the waste is classified as hazardous the healthcare professional should remove the waste and transport it in secure and approved containers for appropriate disposal. This waste should not be thrown away with your usual household waste.
If the waste is non-hazardous, it should be bagged and sealed. It can then be disposed of in your wheelie bin. This is usually the case with sanitary towels, nappies and incontinence pads when they come from a healthy individual.
Which bag or sharps container should I use for clinical waste collections?
Bag
- tiger bag - offensive waste
- orange bag - infectious waste
Sharps
- yellow - non-infectious waste
- orange - infectious waste
- purple - cytotoxic and cytostatic waste
The way that medical and clinical waste is collected differs. Medical waste incudes normally non-infectious medical offensive waste such as incontinence pads, stoma bags and catheters. These items are only classed as clinical if the person has a known infectious disease.
Disposing of unused medicines
We do not offer a disposal service for pharmaceutical products/medicines. These items should be taken back to the pharmacy.