Clinical waste is waste produced from products which could pose a risk of infection.
Examples of clinical waste:
- used swabs, bandages and dressings
- used syringes, needles or other sharp items
- human or animal tissue
- human excretion
Clinical waste will not be collected with your household waste and should not be put in any of your bins.
If you get treatment at home, your carer should take any clinical waste they produce with them.
What to do if you have clinical waste
We work with Essentia Community Services who collect clinical waste for Harrow residents.
They provide collections of both 'sacks' and 'sharps'. Sacks include used swabs, dressings and bodily fluids. Sharps include used syringes or needles.
You can contact Essentia Community Services to:
- arrange a collection for your clinical waste
- make a change to a scheduled collection
- cancel a scheduled appointment
- report a missed collection
To make an enquiry, email essentiaenvironment@gstt.nhs.uk
If you prefer to speak on the telephone, you can call Essentia Community Services on 020 7188 9399.
What items are not classed as clinical waste?
Healthcare items such as incontinence pads are not classified as clinical waste.
Used incontinence pads can be put in a bag and disposed of in your general waste bin.
If you need more space for your incontinence pads you can order an extra general waste bin.
Before you start
To order an extra bin for medical reasons you will need:
- to upload a letter from your GP that qualifies your need for an additional general waste bin for medical purposes.
Order an extra bin for medical reasons