Sharp waste disposal refers to the safe handling and discarding of items that can cut or puncture the skin, such as needles, and syringes. These items are placed in designated sharps bins, which are secure containers designed to prevent injuries and reduce the risk of infection.
Sharps Waste Disposal Solutions
Whether you're a small or large business, our services cater to your needs, ensuring safe and compliant collection and disposal of all sharps waste.
What is Sharps Waste?
Sharp waste is the term used for any item with sharp points or edges that can puncture or cut the skin. Sharps can cause injury and may carry the risk of infection, so it is important that they are managed carefully and correctly.
Safe & Compliant Sharps Waste Collection
While many healthcare organisations focus on how to safely and compliantly dispose of sharps waste inside their organisation, they can lose sight of what happens to waste once it leaves the facility.
From disposal to collection and treatment, a knowledgeable clinical waste management partner can play a key role in ensuring the waste management process is handled properly from end to end.
Compliant Sharps Waste Management
We manage the sharps disposal from hospitals, pharmacies, laboratories, vets, dental practices, training centres, independent businesses and health and well being facilities.
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Types of Sharps Disposal Bins
The Orange Sharps Bin
The orange sharps bin is used for waste that has been produced from the treatment of infectious patients or those suspected of having an infection, but that is not medicinally or chemically contaminated.
The orange sharps container can be sent for disinfection by alternative treatment at a suitably authorised facility. Orange-lidded sharps units are for used, or unused, sharps that have not been used in the administration of medicines.
The Yellow Sharps Bin
The yellow sharps bin is used for waste that has been produced from the treatment of infectious patients or those suspected of having an infection, but that is also medicinally contaminated.
The yellow sharps container must be sent for incineration at a suitably authorised facility. Yellow-sharps bins are for sharps that have been used in the administration of, or are contaminated by, medicines other than those that are cytotoxic and cytostatic.
The Purple Sharps Bin
The purple sharps bin is used for any waste contaminated by hazardous cytotoxic and cytostatic medicines.
The purple sharps container must be sent for above 1,000 degree incineration at a suitably authorised facility. Purple-lidded sharps bins are for sharps that are contaminated with hazardous cytotoxic and cytostatic medicines.
Why Stericycle?
Your single nationwide provider
With 19 facilities and a fleet of over 320 trucks, Stericycle ensures seamless, expert waste management across the UK, prioritising safety, sustainability and compliance.
Your sustainability partner
Our sustainable solutions and services helped customers divert 46 thousand tonnes of plastics from landfills and treat 590 thousand tonnes of medical waste during 2023, reducing environmental impact.
Your end-to-end solution
Stericycle offers peace of mind with regulatory compliance and traceability throughout the entire process. We manage every aspect of waste in-house, from collection to disposal.
Sharps Waste Management for Diverse Industries
Small to Medium Businesses
For smaller and medium independent businesses, we offer a single use sharps container solution.
We supply UN-approved containers of various sizes with colour-coded lids, For customers seeking a proactive approach, we provide a scheduled service for regular collections.
High Volume Premises
For hospitals, laboratories and high volume premises we also offer the option of reusable sharps containers.
We supply our proprietary Bio Systems UN-approved containers in various sizes with colour-coded lids as well as our proprietary Bio Track system to aid with tracking to ward / department level on either a Managed or Non-managed service.
Sharps Waste Disposal Near Me
Stericycle provides safe and professional sharps waste disposal services across the UK, with a strong presence in major cities including London, Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Hospital, Care Home, Veterinary or Dental Practice, we’ve got you covered with tailored sharp waste disposal solutions in your area.
Looking for something else? See some of the sectors we serve:
Frequently asked questions about sharps waste
The orange sharps bin is used for disposing of sharps waste that is not contaminated with medicines or chemicals, primarily from sharps generated from taking blood samples. This type of waste is classified as infectious clinical waste.
A sharps bin is designed to safely contain sharp items, which are a common type of hospital waste. It features a secure lid and a mechanism to prevent reopening, ensuring the safe disposal and handling of potentially hazardous materials in healthcare settings.
Sharps waste must be disposed of in designated containers based on its contamination:
Orange Sharps Bin: For waste not contaminated by medicines or chemicals (from blood samples). Sent for alternative treatment at an authorised facility.
Yellow Sharps Bin: For waste from patient treatment contaminated by medicines. Must be treated or incinerated at an authorised facility.
Purple Sharps Bin: For waste contaminated by hazardous cytotoxic and cytostatic medicines. Must be incinerated at a facility above 1,000°C.
Sharps waste is carefully placed in designated containers, such as orange, yellow, or purple sharps bins. Once filled, these bins are collected by a clinical waste management service. Depending on the contamination, waste is either disinfected or incinerated at high temperatures.
While many healthcare organizations focus on safely disposing of sharp waste within their facilities, it’s equally important to ensure proper handling once the waste leaves the site. Stericycle offers expert clinical waste management services, providing safe collection, transportation, and treatment of sharp waste to ensure it is disposed of safely and compliantly. Discover our locations today!
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