The importance of clinical waste bins in healthcare settings
November 14, 2017According to a recent study by the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 85% of waste generated by healthcare facilities is categorised as domestic, with only 15% considered infectious and hazardous. Disposing of your waste correctly is crucial to infection prevention, health and safety and effective waste management.
If waste is not segregated, the disposal can have harmful results. For example, if infectious waste is placed inside a domestic black bag by mistake, it is compacted and sent to landfill without being treated. As a result, unsegregated waste leads to increased disposal costs, in addition to fines that can also be issued as the waste is considered mixed and is difficult to segregate for recycling.
A number of steps can be put into place to improve waste segregation; coloured bags are used in healthcare facilities to ensure the appropriate waste is disposed of correctly. At Wybone, our clinical waste bins can be manufactured with coloured lids to emphasise your chosen waste stream further.
Black is used for general or domestic waste and yellow with a black stripe is used for offensive waste; these two waste streams are sent to landfill. Orange is used for infectious waste, yellow with no black stripe is used for hazardous waste and violet is used for cytotoxic waste; these waste streams are incinerated if disposed of correctly.
A common error amongst most health facilities is waste bins being sited in the wrong location, which leads to inefficient waste segregation. In the latest Health Estates Journal (HEJ), a visit to a UK hospital found a yellow sackholder for hazardous waste placed inside a visitor’s toilet, which was filled with paper towels and the cardboard insert from toilet paper.
A waste audit can be carried out to access the environment to improve waste segregation; the facility needs to ensure that there are enough waste bins, that they are in a suitable location, they are clearly marked and that instructions are being followed appropriately.
If you’re not sure what you need, we offer a full waste audit service and can advise you on the best way to achieve high standards and maximise your waste management.
As a leading manufacturer of clinical and domestic sackholders, we work closely with the Infection Prevention Society (IPS) to promote and sustain improvements in infection prevention. This allows us to make product improvements where necessary to help health facilities maintain infection control and ensure that waste is dealt with appropriately.
As well as our coloured lids, we also have vinyl lettering and coloured labels that can further improve waste segregation. Our in-house design team can also create bespoke artwork to help with your recycling scheme.
Our clinical waste bins come in a range of sizes and materials and have non-porous surfaces with an anti-microbial coating to minimise the spread of infection.
The Metal Sackholder is manufactured from galvanised steel with a hands free foot pedal operation that helps to minimise the risk of cross-infection. The Plastic Capsule Sackholder is manufactured from aerospace grade ABS plastic that makes it completely corrosion resistant. The Hybrid Sackholder is a combination of both materials; these clinical waste bins are fire-retardant but also rust free.
We also have the new Eco Sackholder that offers the same great level of quality, but with an eco-friendly design that allows us to pass on significant cost savings to our customers. The lid sits flush in the frame for a smooth and stylish finish.
For more information, feel free to give us a call on 01226 352333 or send us an email to [email protected]
