Managing lateral flow device (LFD) testing waste: RPS C25
Managing lateral flow device (LFD) testing waste: RPS C25 The Environment Agency have released RPS C25, to explain when you can accept LFD testing waste coded 18 01 04 and […]
environment
Thermal Compaction Group in new joint venture with Greencycl
Cardiff-based Thermal Compaction Group announces a joint venture with Utrecht-based Greencycl. Thermal compaction technology developed in Wales is set to help reduce the amount of plastic waste produced by hospitals […]
Stericycle settles with EPA on emissions accusation
Stericycle Inc. has reached a settlement with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designed to resolve alleged violations of the federal Clean […]
Hundreds of discarded hypodermic needles reported across Dundee and Angus
Hundreds of used needles are being found by shocked locals in Dundee and Angus every year as drug-related anti-social behaviour leaves residents living in fear. Data shows around 95% of the […]
Woman furious as ‘hazardous medical waste’ left outside her home for almost a WEEK
A Sheffield woman has criticised the city council for failing to clear up ‘hazardous’ medical waste from outside her home for nearly a week. Retired nurse Patricia Cuddihy, who is […]
Another healthcare waste-related fatality
Injuries involving healthcare wastes are fortunately uncommon but when they do occur they can be disastrous. Sharos injury and infections top the list but here is one that is, I […]
On-site treatment of microbiology lab waste
Treating microbiological laboratory waste on the site where it is produced: RPS 233 Microbiological laboratories produce microbiology cultures and other microbiologically contaminated wastes. They are autoclaved on site to sterilise […]
UK waste incinerators 3x as likely to be in deprived areas
Waste incinerators are three times as likely to be situated in the most deprived and ethnically diverse areas of the UK, it has been revealed, raising fears about the impact […]
Veolia highlights significant carbon reductions using energy recovery facilities for clinical waste
Veolia is highlighting how significant emissions reductions can be achieved by using energy recovery facilities (ERF) to dispose of the more than 61,000 tonnes of orange-bagged clinical and infectious waste […]
Let’s spread a rumour??
The majority of waste bins across the UK contain dangerous used PPE and ‘could put lives at risk’. That’s the suggestion from clinical waste collection company BusinessWaste, which suggests up […]
£25m UK clinical waste plant built at existing biomass facility in Stoke-on-Trent
Work is underway on the largest clinical waste treatment plant built in the UK for 20 years at an existing biomass facility site in Stoke-on-Trent. Waste Energy Power Partners (WEPP) […]
More COVID-19 regulatory position statements from Environment Agency
Monitoring emissions from installations, radioactive substances and waste activities: RPS C7 Storing or treating COVID-19 cleansing waste at a healthcare waste management facility: RPS C1 Exceeding waste storage limits at […]
Clinical waste and capacity
Nice opinion piece on letsrecycle.com about the challenges of dealing with clinical waste capacity at the present time of coronavirus and, in particular, the challenges caused by managing the HES […]
Veolia to process healthcare waste at Tyseley
Veolia has applied to the Environment Agency to alter its permit to allow the processing of healthcare orange bagged waste at its energy from waste plant in Tyseley, Birmingham. According to the application, submitted in […]
DEFRA in COVID-19 contingency talks with waste sector
DEFRA is in talks with the waste industry and local authorities about ensuring collection and disposal services continue to operate as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread across the UK, […]
Demand to store all clinical wastes indoors?
In typical Environment Agency style, their intention is now to demand that operators store all clinical wastes indoors. Though their summary documentation released just a couple of days ago was […]
Appropriate measures for permitted facilities that take healthcare waste
Following the June/July 2019 Environment Agency questionnaire concerning measures for permitted facilities that take healthcare waste, measures that might be, and in some cases are entirely appropriate, and several that […]
New life for blue wrap?
An Asheville nurse is using leftover medical blue wrap material to help the homeless. Every day, cloth wrapping is used to keep medical instruments sterile before use. At the end […]
New EU rules to impact UK’s energy-from-waste sector
New EU rules could impact the UK’s energy-from-waste sector as a new waste incineration best available techniques reference document (BREF) is likely to have major cost implications for the UK’s energy-from-waste […]
Cromwell launch scented, antimicrobial tiger sack for clinical waste
Polythene, a specialist in sacks, bags and speciality products for the capture and containment of waste and recyclables is launching a scented and antimicrobial tiger stripe sack. The new product […]
Regulator acts after potential ‘risk to human health’ at warehouse
Steps have been taken at a warehouse unlawfully filled with more than 400 tonnes of NHS clinical waste after the Environment Agency raised concerns over a potential “significant risk to […]
Cumbria Crack reports major sharps bin dumping
An investigation has been launched following the discovery of clinical waste dumped on a roadside near Kendal. A member of the public reported seeing a number of black bin bags that […]
Stench of rotting medical waste including body parts ‘ruins resident’s life’
Clinical hospital waste –including body parts – has been left piled up in bags at a site for nearly a year. A woman who lives nearby claims her life has been […]
Don’t do as we do, do as we say!
The papers are reporting today what the call the Eco-hypocrisy! of the Environment Agency. They run 3,356 diesel vehicles despite being tasked with fighting pollution and Environment Agency bosses have been […]
Clinical waste and needles dumped along Humber
A concerned lady says she is disgusted after seeing the amount of waste dumped along the Humber, which included “used tattoo needles”. She took the shocking images (below), which show […]
Scandal-hit NHS hospital bill could hit £400m as ‘fabric’ of new building needs changed
A whistleblower says the empty Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh needs substantial changes before taking patients. A litany of design flaws at a hospital mothballed before it has […]
Can this invention reduce clinical waste volumes?
A new invention, which could reduce the volume of clinical waste in a healthcare emergency by up to 67 per cent, has won the 2019 national James Dyson Award. Invented […]
Drug residues escape wastewater treatments
Hospital wastewater reveals a substantial pool of antibiotic resistance, as both antibiotic use and average patient length of stay were linked to greater abundance of antibiotic resistant genes detected in […]
Waste management data for England 2017
For those who need to know, the Environment Agency have released data for waste management in England 2017. Just 21 months late but at last this can be accessed at […]
Are special EA dispensations threatening the clinical waste sector?
ENDS reports a new entrant to the clinical waste disposal market has claimed there is a lack of incineration capacity, a concern that was first highlighted last year when a specialist […]