Recovery of plastics from clinical wastes
Despite all its woes, the recycling industries have a good record – it could be much better – of recovering material resources for reuse. With correct processing, it matters not […]
segregation
Hospital recycles operating room waste into park benches
A Brunswick, Maine, hospital is reported to be successfully recycling operating room waste into park benches. Mid Coast Hospital has launched a new recycling program that turns plastic waste from its […]
2010/32/EU – don’t use safety sharps?
In a surprisingly practical note to the The European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy: Science and Practice (EJHP) a UK pharmacist discusses the many situations occurring outside the immediate clinical environment where […]
How to make a bad situation worse
Basildon Hospital Trust have failed miserably to separate clinical from domestic-type refuse resulting in what is apparently widespread contamination of a Veolia site. Now, hospital porters who volunteered for the […]
Medical device recycling and reprocessing
Clemson University in South Carolina has developed a certificate program on medical device recycling and reprocessing. This is an interesting, and perhaps rather brave step since the product liability issues […]
Is that an elephant in the room?
Revision to legislation in the US State of New Jersey will prohibit health care institutions from discharging prescription medications into sewer or septic systems. How that will happen is pretty straightforward […]
Bio-bin anatomical
Good to see that the Bio-Bin range is extending yet again. The latest addition is a Bio-Bin for anatomical waste, ranging from placentae to larger tissue waste items. Bins are pre-labelled […]
Why so much paper?
Many sacks of clinical waste contain substantial amounts of paper waste. Some of it is secondary wrappings from sterile items and I have not problem with that, since separation is […]
How to implement a pharmaceutical waste program
Nice piece by Deanne Halvorsen in the magazine Pharmacy Purchasing and Products concerning the implementation of a strategic pharmaceutical waste management program that can result in several benefits, including increased environmental stewardship, regulatory compliance, […]
Improving clinical waste disposal practice
How do we improve clinical waste disposal practice? The answer to this question is not so easy. There is the hugely bloated HTM 07-01 that seeks to instruct but not inform, […]
Greening healthcare
There are many pressures on hospitals and other healthcare service providers, healthcare consumables and equipment suppliers, designers, builders and operators of healthcare premises, and of those servicing the waste disposal […]
Sharps waste found in domestic refuse from UK hospital
Basildon Hospital is under investigation for failing to properly dispose of potentially hazardous medical waste, including used syringes. The Environment Agency are ‘probing’ how syringes and other equipment used to drain […]
Reusable sharps containers
We are becoming accustomed to re-usable sharps containers, not least because of the bullish advertising of their sole manufacturer. But now, there might be a new kid on the block. […]
Colour coding of clinical wastes from domicillary care
The selection of colour coding for clinical waste containers, dictated by the notional properties of those wastes and in particular the risk of infection – yellow or orange – is rather […]
Talking dirty on healthcare waste
Interesting and well-balanced piece in Waste Management World about the production of dioxins during the incineration of clinical wastes. Claiming support from statements made by the World Health Organisation, the piece is actually […]
Lies, damn lies, and statistics?
Daniels International are now evaluating their Clinismart system in the UK and elsewhere. Surrounded by the full range of ‘in your face’ advertising that has been a feature of Daniels Sharpsmart […]
Medical waste is not recyclable?
“Medical waste is not recyclable” This is the banner headline in a news report concerning, yet again, the persistent problem of sharps turning up in household recyclables. The statement is […]
Re-processing and re-use of single-use medical equipment
There has, for some considerable time, been considerable interest in the re-processing for re-use of single-use medical equipment and devices. If reprocessing is undertaken with sufficient care to provide a safe and effective […]
Plastics recycling from healthcare wastes
The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) has finalized an agreement with Stanford University Medical Center to begin a six-month pilot study to develop a better understanding of plastic waste characterization within healthcare facilities. […]
Scottish Government prohibits disposal of miscarried foetuses as clinical waste
HOSPITALS have been banned from disposing of aborted and miscarried babies by burning them as clinical waste. The Scottish Government have issued guidelines to health boards stating the practice is […]
Safe management of healthcare wastes at Bir Hospital, Kathmandu
It is far too easy to believe that the safe management of healthcare waste is something of a done deal, with improvement required only in cost minimization and resource recovery […]
Complains about appalling state of hospital toilets
Toilets at the at the Royal Cornwall Hospital were in an “absolutely disgusting” state, according to a patient. Last updated: Wednesday, September 9, 2020
Do not recycle
Reduce, re-use, recycle. We hear it often but sometimes it is simply not appropriate. A Colorado dentist, Dr Stephen Stein, stands accused of possibly exposing patients to HIV by reusing syringes […]
Managing Norovirus waste
Norovirus outbreaks continue to be a major seasonal problem and cause huge disruption to care services with substantial morbidity and mortality. What to do with Norovirus waste? Much waste will be destined for the toilet […]
How do you take you coffee?
Coffee is an increasing popular drink, overtaking tea as the national drink. Coffee shops seem to be everywhere, with outlets in the high street, in book shops and libraries, in […]
Community clinical waste problems?
In a remarkably no-news item appearing in the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, an elderly pensioner complains that he unexpectedly received a bright yellow clinical waste bin and four ‘huge bags’ delivered to […]
How safe are safety needles?
The Clinical Waste Discussion Forum has previously considered the risks to ancillary workers and waste handlers of sharps carelessly discarded in clinical waste sacks or laundry, or spilled from inadequately sealed […]
Recycling unwanted medicines
There are several ways to reduce the NHS expenditure associated with unwanted prescriptions. Control of prescribing, and the uncontrolled issue of repeat prescriptions, are perhaps the most appropriate control measures though […]
‘Clinical waste’ finding its way to plastic vendors?
The Indian campaigning group Safenviron claims that untreated clinical and related wastes wastes are finding their way to plastic recycling vendors without first being made safe. “Medical needles, saline bottles, […]
Source segregation – getting the process right
Much is said about source segregation of waste from clinical areas. A sometimes apoplectic response can be expected when inappropriate general waste items are found in an orange or yellow clinical waste […]