Yorkshire waste processing locations
“Normanton has become a “dumping ground” for Yorkshire’s waste”. So says ‘environmentalists’ after plans for a new recycling centre that will employ up to 150 people, were approved yesterday, becoming […]
waste management
BBV transmission
The estimated rate of BBV transmission after sharps injury is widely publicised. For Hepatitis B Virus infections the risk is around 30%, for Hepatitis C 3% and for HIV infections around 0.3% risk. […]
How and where to store waste carts?
As if to prove the point made not more than an hour ago, about the inadequacy of waste storage arrangements in care and nursing homes, a news report from North […]
Waste management errrors common in failing care homes
The current “scandal” of failing care homes for the elderly and disabled in the UK should be of concern to us all. The number of residents living in these failing […]
Taking glass out of pathology wastes
The vast majority of pathology laboratory waste can be recycled. It contains a high proportion of plastic and with the exception of glass, not much else. That glass fraction is […]
Sharps waste recycling
Sharps waste recycling, and indeed recycling of materials including ATT-processed plastics, latex and metals from non-sharps waste must be an environmentally sound option when compared with incineration alone. It is […]
UK Government Review of Waste Policy in England 2011
The UK Government Review of Waste Policy in England 2011 is published and accessible at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/2011/06/14/pb13540-waste-review/ Last updated: Sunday, June 29, 2014
Will safety sharps eliminate disposal-related sharps injury?
US and other legislation mandates introduction of engineered safety sharp devices within a year and already there has been wide uptake. Similar European legislation applies through Council Directive 2010/32/EU but […]
Hazardous waste?
What is this? It looks genuine. Even the package looks convincing and seen in some general waste or on a picking line could bring things to a standstill. Last updated: […]
Needle disposal – who pays?
The new dawn of waste management places the responsibility for and cost of disposal at the foot of the producer. Already well-established for white goods and WEEE, can this be […]
Hand rub flash point?
Visiting a hospital kitchen recently, one of the few that actually cooked food rather than reheat meals bought from elsewhere it was somewhat reassuring to see hand rub dispensers were everywhere and […]
Hand rub dose
Alcohol hand rubs are widely used in healthcare and are finding their way into the catering and waste management sectors also. They are fast, convenient, simple to use and more […]
Protection in law
It is now 9 months or so since a Northern Ireland hospital worker who suffered a sharps injury while handling a bag of clinical waste and feared life-threatening infection will be […]
Rain floods landfilled clinical wastes
In many countries, waste disposal options revolve around open burning or landfill. Technical and economic constraints prevent further development. Over 25 years ago, I was working in Ecuador and became […]
Clinical waste bins – help for wheelchair users
We are all used to the importance of foot operated clinical waste bins that avoid handling contaminated surfaces and contact with bin contents, but what about wheelchair users? Last updated: […]
Jamaica invests in ATT processing
The Cabinet of Jamaica has approved a US$899,668 contract to Ecodas Limited for the supply and installation of medical waste equipment at the Southeast Medical Waste Treatment Facility. This new […]
Sharps-related infections
We have previously discussed the wide diversity of infections that can be transmitted by sharps or needlestick injury. Last updated: Sunday, October 13, 2019
Painting with hospital waste
An artist in Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh, India is making a name for herself ‘painting’ with hospital waste. Using caps from various vials and bottle caps etc, to assemble collages, this […]
UCL restructures waste classification
It is reported that UCL, in conjunction with its partner Mitie, has restructured its waste classification. In what is wrongly claimed to be an industry first – Blenkharn Environmental proposed […]
Siloxane residues in healthcare wastes
Siloxanes have quietly found their way into the revision of HTM 07 01, most likely because they are the latest bee to land in someone’s EA bonnet! Siloxanes apparently cause […]
Colour-coded sack holders
Ever since the mis-guided reversal of colour coding for clinical wastes, from red/yellow/Tiger, to yellow/orange/Tiger there has been a plethora of minor publications concerning errors in waste segregation and proposing […]
Clinical waste management – Hong Kong
I discovered the excellent waste management pages of the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department a couple of years ago. We have mentioned them previously on the Clinical Waste discussion Forum […]
White Cloak Trash
White Cloak Trash – a name that is new to us, but a term used effectively by journalist Eric Ahianyo of Joy FM in Ghana to refer to clinical waste. “The cholera […]
Chemical composition of laboratory wastes?
Clinical wastes from laboratories in hospitals, universities and other research or manufacturing facilities may comprise a variety of hazardous materials and will usually be considered as hazardous by risk of […]
Needles discarded into recycling bins
Even a single discarded needle turning up in a recycling bin or found on a picking line can bring things to a shuddering halt. Yet more seriously, it can cause […]
Clinical waste from undertakers
Mortuaries and undertakers produce large volumes of clinical wastes. Much of this is liquid waste that would have previously been discharged to foul sewer, but with concerns about discharge of […]
Care home ‘overrun with rats’, £25k fine
It remains sadly too common that private care homes across the UK are run with appalling standards that shame our care services. Regulators are thin on the ground, but at […]
Managing incontinence waste
Managing incontinence waste is a vast problem, and predictably on for which there is generally little care. It’s a waste stream that needs to be shifted, let’s get on with […]
University installs sharps bins in toilets
The University of Iowa is to install needle-deposit bins in restrooms across its campus. Facilities Management will now foot the $9,000 bill for purchasing and installing the containers. Though dressing […]
Trying to help brings only frustration
A sobering report from Total Essex tells of a Chelmsford couple who must feel like banging their heads against the nearest availlable brick wall. Last updated: Wednesday, August 31, 2016