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 […]
environment
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 […]
Healthcare regulators seek clinical waste issues
As we have noted before on the Clinical Waste Discussion Forum, healthcare regulators the CQC and its Scottish equivalent frequently record issues with clinical and sharps waste handling, transport, and […]
‘Treated’ clinical wastes fly tipped in Hampshire
A huge pile of commercial rubbish, thought to include hospital waste, has been fly-tipped in a country lane in Hampshire. The mound of mechanically-processed refuse appeared on a path off Greywell […]
Politics slows Lanarkshire treatment plant planning
The company contracted to solve Scotland’s clinical waste crisis is facing opposition to its plans for a new treatment plant. Health Secretary Jeane Freeman admitted last week that toxic NHS material, […]
Scots hospitals risk cross-contamination transporting clinical waste in same trolleys as sterile equipment
Hazardous clinical waste is being transported in the same hospital trolleys as sterile medical equipment — sparking fears of lethal cross-contamination. A whistleblower raised serious safety concerns after claiming roll […]
Drug-resistant bacteria isolated from UK wastewater treatment facilities
Researchers have isolated pathogenic, drug-resistant bacteria from wastewater treatment facilities in the UK. Drug-resistant bacteria are increasingly a public health concern as they can lead to serious illness or death, […]
Shetland processing 700 tonnes clinical waste from mainland
Incinerating clinical waste from health boards across Scotland is bringing around £8,000 a week into Shetland Islands Council’s (SIC) coffers. The SIC started taking in low grade NHS waste such […]
Mystery of the baby’s leg dumped at a Welsh rubbish tip
It started out as just a normal day at the tip for Mike Lewis of Carmarthen. The air was changing as the season altered from summer to autumn. The temperature […]
Growing veggies with hospital waste
Reny Vargheseane of Thane in India is described as a trailblazer. His relentless effort to produce vegetables with waste has taken him places, including winning the National Swachhata Mission award. […]
Call for extra funds for waste management issues
Health chiefs are being urged to plough more resources into Renfrewshire’s main hospital after inspectors uncovered a string of hygiene failures. Concerns have been raised that extra investment is needed to […]
Veolia gets permit for Hertfordshire EfW plant
Veolia has been granted an environmental permit for its energy from waste plant at Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire, as it awaits a final decision on planning approval for the facility. The […]
Tradebe shoot themselves in the foot as they step in over HES problems
The Scottish Daily Record reveals today that the firm stepping in after NHS clinical waste crisis fined £500k over their own environmental scandals. Surely, this must be seen as hilarious and ironic, […]
Hospital porters injured handling clinical waste
Four porters at Inverness’ Raigmore Hospital were injured carrying out work involving clinical waste, the GMB union has said. The union has submitted a collective grievance to NHS Highland about the […]
Shock! Horror! New pictures ‘lay bare scale of NHS body parts scandal’
In a display of remarkable journalistic hyperbole, today’s Daily Mail screams “Shocking new pictures lay bare scale of NHS body parts scandal: Inside waste disposal firm facing criminal probe after […]
MSP claims Westminster official ‘set out to ruin hospital waste firm’
A former Scottish health secretary has used parliamentary privilege to claim that a Westminster civil servant worked to “deliberately and systematically destroy” a clinical waste company that laid off 400 […]
Packaging firm recognised for waste container made from recycled plastics
Packaging solutions company Mauser Packaging has launched a medical waste container made from 100% recycled plastics generated from post-consumer packaging waste. The product, WIVA Infinity Container, was recognised by receiving […]
HES Ltd – The Truth?
There are, no doubt, lots of different opinions regarding the current HES Ltd “scandal”. Before making your own decisions about this, read the documents presented by HES Ltd at https://www.healthcareenv.com/the-truth. […]
Disreputable or helpful? You decide
Looking online for updated information about Healthcare Environmental I was, to say the very least, surprised to see a number of waste management companies who are trying hard to pick up […]