Waste collection for residents who need support

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• Specialist clinical waste collections
• Support for residents creating low grade clinical waste
• Assisted collections
• Alternative household recycling containers

Specialist clinical waste collections

The council offers a free collection to all residents who need to dispose of any clinical waste at home. This includes items such as, sharps (needles and syringes etc), dialysis products, swabs or dressings. We can collect monthly, every other month or only occasionally, as you require.

How should I dispose of sharps?

The safest way to dispose of sharps is to put them into a sharps box, provided by your pharmacy. This will then be collected from you as part of our specialist collection service.

How do I get a sharps box?

You will need to continue getting a prescription from your GP, and arrange for a Sharps Box from your local pharmacist. These one litre boxes allow for the safe disposal of sharps. You should request two boxes to allow for a spare.

What can I put in my sharps box?

All used needles, lancets, syringes or empty insulin cartridges must be disposed of in your sharps box. Disposable pens can be disposed of in domestic waste as long as the needle has been removed and disposed of in your sharps box. Anyone using an insulin pump should dispose of the infusion set which includes the needle into the sharps box.

How do I dispose of other clinical waste?

The council provides a specialist collection service of clinical waste as well as sharps. This can include anything which can cause infection, including dialysis waste, dressings and swabs.

Once registered for this service you will be supplied with yellow bags to collect the waste.

Do I have to register for these specialist collection services?

Yes you need to register with the council to receive this service. You can do this on the phone (Telephone number 0300 456 0102). This only takes a few minutes. To discuss this service and register, please contact us.

Once you have registered to receive a collection you will be sent a list of the clinical waste collection dates.

Support for residents creating low grade clinical waste

Non-hazardous or low grade clinical waste such as incontinence pads and non-infectious dressings do not need to be collected separately and can be placed in your normal household waste bin for disposal.

How do I know what can go in my household waste bin and what needs a separate collection?

Low grade clinical waste is waste that is not hazardous to health and therefore is safe to be placed in with normal household waste. Examples of these items are incontinence pads, nappies, disposable bed pans, stoma bags and urine containers. We would advise that these items are wrapped well in newspaper or plastic before placing in your household waste bin.

High grade clinical waste, such a dressings, dialysis products, or sharps require a separate collection as they can be hazardous to health and therefore need to be incinerated.

My household waste bin is collected fortnightly, but my bins are full of low grade clinical waste. What shall I do?

The council can help you if you are struggling to fit all of your waste in you household waste bin due to the amount of low grade clinical waste or non-hazardous medical waste created. This may be due to excess medical waste packaging or incontinence pads for example.

Please contact the council to discuss and arrange for additional household bin capacity e.g. a larger or additional bin.

Is it a health hazard putting low grade clinical waste in my bin, especially as it is only collected on a fortnightly basis?

Low grade clinical waste is not hazardous and therefore is safe to put in your normal household waste bin. Using wheeled bins mean that waste is contained in the bin and as long as the bin lid is closed there should be no problem. There are things you can do to limit odours if you are concerned, for example ensuring your bin is not in direct sunlight, not over filling your bin and ensuring the waste is bagged and securely tied before placing it in your bin.

Assisted collections

What is an assisted collection?

An assisted collection is a service the council offers to residents who find it difficult to put their household waste, recycling and garden waste at the edge of their property for collection.

An assisted collection enables older or disabled residents to have their bags or bins collected from the rear of their property, for example, or wherever is convenient.

However this service is only available if there is no one else in the household or a willing neighbour who is capable of putting out the wheeled bin for collection.

Who can have an assisted collection?

Any resident that finds it difficult moving their bins, due to age, disability or illness, is eligible, as long as there is no-one else in their household capable of moving the bins/bags to the kerbside. To request an assisted collection you will need to complete a simple application form. This will be assessed and we will contact you to discuss your needs and a convenient collection point.

Do I have to apply to have an assisted collection?

Yes, if you would like to request an assisted collection you will need to complete a simple application form. This will be assessed and we will contact you to discuss your needs.

Alternative household recycling containers

Residents who, due to age, disability or illness, find it difficult to use the standard containers provided by the council, can be provided with alternative recycling containers if required.

Is there an alternative to the black box for recycling paper, glass, cans, foil and clothes?

Yes, residents can use a black basket instead of a box. The basket is smaller than the black box and has a handle which many residents find easier to use. Please contact the council by telephone on 0300 456 0102 to order a basket if required.

Is there an alternative to the bin provided for the plastic bottle and cardboard collection or garden waste collection?

Those residents who cannot manage a wheeled bin can apply to the council to receive re-useable bags for these services instead of having a bin.

• 2 blue bags are available for the plastic bottle and cardboard service
• 2 green bags are available for the garden waste collection service.

Please contact the council by telephone on 0300 456 0102 for more details or to apply for the bags.

Last updated: 5 January 2012