It is a truism that, at all times “Your waste [is] your responsibility”.

Nobody would argue with that but sometimes this creates a precedent against which the blameless can be unfairly measured. Take, for example, the recently updated ‘Application for the collection of clinical waste’ form for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT and Cornwall County Council.

This quite standard form expects service users to sign an agreement that “I acknowledge that it is my responsibility to keep my waste safe while it is awaiting collection“. That is, in general, a not unreasonable expectation. But how does that square against any requirement imposed by the Council that bagged wastes or sharps bins might be placed outside early on the day of delivery perhaps to sit there for many hours. Even greater difficulties may arise for users (patients) living in flats or maisonettes, or in properties without a front garden not that the garden is a suitable place to leave clinical waste containers.

The clause thus becomes unreasonable and unworkable if council officers expect wastes to be presented at the start of the day, or even earlier, and are likely to become over-excited with the issue of formal warnings if their expectations of safe storage of wastes are not met.

Though the waste producer must play their part as far as their age or health will permit, it is the PCT in association with the Council that must take the lead in providing facilities for safe waste storage inside and outside patients’ homes, with assisted collections is required. Further, it is the PCT in association with the Council that must take responsibility for any failings in safe waste storage conditions that may arise though unreasonable conditions placed on the patient to facilitate speedy collection by council staff or contractors and dumping upon them a liability for safe storage at this time is just plain wrong.