How to dispose of clinical waste

by Chris Taylor May 29, 2025

Businesses across the healthcare services sector must make sure that they know how to dispose of clinical waste correctly. From hospitals and GP surgeries to dentists and veterinary practices, clinical waste is a daily refuse stream that needs to be disposed of.

The correct disposal of clinical waste is a matter of public safety, environmental responsibility, and regulatory compliance. By adhering to the proper legislation, healthcare businesses can avoid facing legal action and enforcement, as well as potentially hefty fines.

Responsible disposal of medical waste ensures that hazardous substances cannot leak into the environment, protects staff and the public from contact with sharps and bioactive chemicals, and safeguards those working in waste disposal as well.

Wheelie Bin Solutions has compiled this handy guide to help you and your business understand how to dispose of clinical waste correctly. It includes a broad definition of clinical waste, specific examples, and an overview of current clinical waste regulations in the UK.

Clinical waste explained

Clinical waste is a type of waste that has the potential to cause infection or injury to others.

The UK clinical waste definition states that healthcare businesses, including both human and veterinary practices, generate this type of waste. However, the legislation also applies to "waste of a similar nature" generated by non-healthcare companies.

Syringes, swabs, tissue (both animal and human), and PPE are all types of clinical waste. Some medicines may also be considered clinical waste if they have the potential to cause harm to human cells.

What is the definition of clinical waste?

The Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 give the following official UK clinical waste definition:

"'Clinical waste" means waste from a healthcare activity (including veterinary healthcare) that-

"(a) contains viable micro-organisms or their toxins which are known or reliably believed to cause disease in humans or other living organisms,

"(b) contains or is contaminated with a medicine that contains a biologically active pharmaceutical agent, or

"(c) is a sharp, or a body fluid or other biological material (including human and animal tissue) containing or contaminated with a dangerous substance within the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, as amended from time to time,

"and waste of a similar nature from a non-healthcare activity."

All businesses should be familiar with the definition of clinical waste and must be vigilant to the possibility of generating waste materials and bioactive substances that could fall under this definition.

Clinical waste examples and types

Clinical waste is typically associated with healthcare services, but the coronavirus outbreak meant businesses across the country faced a clinical waste disposal problem.

COVID-19 tests and face coverings became familiar sights in the workplace, meaning a new wave of businesses had to adapt to the disposal of PPE, a process that can be complex and sometimes confusing.

However, not all healthcare waste is clinical waste. For example, most medicinal products aren't hazardous waste.

The exceptions to this rule are medicines with cytotoxic (the ability to kill cells) or cytostatic properties (preventing cells from multiplying). Commonly administered in large doses as cancer treatments, their toxicity means they can present a significant risk to those who handle them.

For a detailed list of types of clinical waste, see our guide to clinical waste colour codes further down this page.

How to correctly dispose of clinical waste

When determining how to dispose of clinical waste, UK businesses can refer to the colour codes as a guide. This is not a mandatory system, but it is a nationally established method for keeping different waste streams, both clinical and non-clinical, separate from cross-contamination.

Regardless of the number of types of clinical waste your business generates, each type should be segregated, treated, and disposed of appropriately according to the hazard it poses. Mixing clinical waste of different types is prohibited in England and Wales.

Colour-coded containers can help. Clinical waste wheelie bins, boxes and bags provide immediate visual awareness and keep each waste stream separate throughout the disposal process.

Businesses that need clinical waste collections

Most businesses that need clinical waste collections are engaged in healthcare services provision, for example:

Clinics
Dental practices
GP surgeries
Hospitals
Veterinarians

Remember, the UK definition of clinical waste is not limited to healthcare businesses. If you are engaged in any kind of business activity that involves medicines, bioactive chemicals, tissue samples, blood and/or needles and syringes, you should dispose of any waste accordingly.

Why correct disposal is important

Correct disposal of medical waste reduces the risks posed to humans and the environment, including staff, patients, waste disposal handlers and the wider public.

For businesses, compliance with current UK clinical waste regulations can also help avoid the risk of hefty fines and enforcement action — however, this is secondary to the public health safeguarding concern.

Best practices for disposing of clinical waste

Our five-step guide can help you adopt best practice clinical waste disposal and reduce your exposure to health and compliance risks alike.

1. Do not overfill clinical waste bins, boxes or bags. Excess waste may fall out of the container, especially during waste collection, with the risk of injury or infection.

2. Keep records of clinical waste. All clinical waste must be traceable. As a clinical waste producer, you are responsible for this. Staff should maintain a waste acceptance record sheet.

3. Provide colour-coded clinical waste bins with segregation posters. Ensure your staff are aware of your procedures and know how to follow them. Posters are a valuable reminder of this at the point of disposal of any waste, including clinical waste types.

4. Wear appropriate PPE. PPE itself can be a type of clinical waste, but can also help reduce the risk of infection and disease when handling blood and tissue samples.

5. Dispose of sharps immediately after use in a sharps bin. Dedicated sharps bins are a temporary storage unit for used syringes and hypodermic needles, featuring a specially designed lid to prevent accidental access to the bin's contents.

Your containers should be fit for purpose and brightly coloured, so there can be no confusion. With over 35 years of experience in the waste industry, you can rely on Wheelie Bin Solutions to provide high-quality clinical waste bins in sizes to suit any business.

Clinical waste colour codes

We recommend the following clinical waste colour codes to keep multiple clinical and medical waste streams safely segregated from each other, and from general waste:

Yellow: Infectious waste for disposal by incineration, e.g. contaminated needles and syringes, quantities of bodily fluids, used bandages and swabs.
Orange: Infectious waste for disposal by treatment or incineration, e.g. gloves and gowns that may be contaminated by blood or bodily fluids.
Purple: Containing cytotoxic or cytostatic waste for disposal by incineration, e.g. needles and syringes used in chemotherapy.
Red: Anatomical waste for disposal by incineration, e.g. body parts, blood bags, blood preserves associated with surgical procedures.
Blue: Medicinal waste for disposal by incineration, e.g. non-hazardous medicines and denatured drugs, blister packs, inhaler cartridges, etc.
Yellow/Black: Non-hazardous hygiene waste, e.g. incontinence pads, wipes and garments contaminated with non-infectious bodily fluids.
White: Dental amalgam and gypsum. Amalgam from dental fillings and capsules containing residues; Gypsum from 3D dental study moulds.
Clear: Lateral flow hazardous. Introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic as a dedicated waste stream for lateral flow devices used in mass testing.

You should maintain sufficient capacity in colour-coded wheelie bins and containers for each type of clinical waste generated on-site, with some allowance for excess waste that may accumulate due to unforeseen circumstances and short-term variations in activity.

What type of waste is disposed of in a yellow bag?

Yellow bags and bright yellow wheelie bins for clinical waste are among the most common sights in healthcare premises, especially hospitals. They are used for infectious waste including bodily fluids, used swabs and bandages, contaminated diagnostic kits and used IV bags.

Sharps, such as used syringes and needles, should be placed in a dedicated sharps container. The entire container is then placed into a yellow bag or bin for safe disposal.

Knowing what waste is disposed of in a yellow bag is essential, as these are potentially some of the most hazardous substances handled in healthcare environments. The correct use of a yellow clinical waste wheelie bin or a heavy-duty medical waste bag is essential for preventing contamination and, ultimately, infection.

UK regulations for clinical waste

The prevailing UK regulations for clinical waste are outlined in the Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012, which define clinical waste as per Schedule 1. The legislation came into force on April 6th 2012, replacing the previous Controlled Waste Regulations 1992.

It's worth noting that under the definition of clinical waste provided in the 2012 Regulations, residential properties offering self-catered accommodation are required to dispose of clinical waste as commercial waste.

This could, for example, include lancets and hypodermics used by diabetic guests to test their blood sugar and/or inject insulin. As such, the UK clinical waste regulations not only apply to healthcare providers, but could easily apply to Airbnb hosts and many other less obvious types of businesses.

Get the right clinical waste containers with Wheelie Bin Solutions

Whatever type of business you run, we can help ensure you have the correct commercial waste wheelie bins in place. Where appropriate, that should (and legally MUST) include the proper clinical waste containers.

Our colour-stable bright yellow clinical waste wheelie bins leave no doubt about their contents as part of your colour-coded medical waste disposal strategy. With a range of sizes, from 120-litre bins to 1,280-litre wheeled dumpsters, we can cater to any business size.

To learn more and enhance your handling of clinical waste streams, contact Wheelie Bin Solutions today.