care home waste management
No. 1 for Care Home Waste Disposal

Care Home Waste Disposal

Care and nursing home waste isn’t too different from the rubbish you produce in your own home. However, the much larger volumes and increased risk posed by medical waste and hazardous substances creates a few extra challenges. We can help you dispose of nursing and care home waste safely and efficiently.

As care homes and nursing homes class as businesses, you have a legal duty of care to ensure all the commercial waste you produce is stored, removed, and disposed of responsibly. Wherever your care home is located, we can help arrange collection by licensed waste carriers to dispose of all your waste appropriately from anywhere in the UK.

Understand more about nursing and care home waste management with Business Waste. For a fast and free quote to get your care home waste disposed, contact us online or call 0800 211 8390 today.

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What types of waste 
do care homes produce?

Nursing and care homes are quite diverse when it comes to the waste types they produce. About 80% of the waste from nursing care homes is made up of municipal solid waste (MSW), which can go in your typical rubbish bins.

As well as general and food waste, and mixed recycling, medical and healthcare waste is a big area. While most of this isn’t hazardous, there are stricter rules regarding disposal of hazardous and infectious waste.

Some of the main types of waste care homes produce and examples of each include:

Nursing home 
waste disposal

The right method of nursing home waste disposal depends on the type of waste. At Business Waste we work on a zero landfill policy, diverting as much rubbish away from landfill as possible. This means the likes of glass, plastic, paper, and dry mixed recycling from your care home will be transported to a nearby facility for appropriate sorting, treatment, and recycling.

The likes of general waste can be incinerated to produce refuse-derived fuel (RDF), but sometimes it may end up in landfill if there’s no alternative. Most food waste can be composted or will be transported to a nearby facility for anaerobic digestion, which produces biogas and biofertiliser.

With clinical waste it also depends on the type. Any infectious and/or hazardous substances in a care home are usually sent for incineration to remove any risk to both human health and the environment. Non-infectious waste may be treated and recycled in some cases.

Pharmaceuticals that have either expired or not been used should ideally be returned to the pharmacy or you’ll need specialist collection. As your waste disposal contractor, we can give you some guidance on what to do with any pharmaceutical or clinical waste your care or nursing home generates.

Nursing home 
bins

Nursing homes need a wide range of bins in various sizes to hold different waste types both inside and outside the facility. Each resident should have at least one small bin in their room for general waste, while it’s a legal requirement for every bathroom to have a sanitary bin.

Often the cleaners will empty these daily, usually moving general waste from small bins into a larger container such as a 1100 litre wheelie bin outside. This can then be collected daily, weekly, or fortnightly for proper disposal. There are also specific bins, bags, and containers available to safely store types of clinical, food, sharps, and pharmaceutical waste.

Our expert team can advise you on the best bins for your care home waste management needs. Explore some common bins used to store waste from nursing and care homes.

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  • 240L wheelie bin

    Can be for just food or glass waste, or to store four to five bags of general or recycling waste.

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  • Sanitary waste bins

    Available in various sizes to use in the bathrooms around your care home for both residents and staff.

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  • Cytotoxic and cytostatic waste bags

    Purple waste bags for PPE, patches, and disposable garments contaminated by cytotoxic and cytostatic medicines.

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Care home 
waste collection

At Business Waste, we can provide free bins for your care or nursing home to safely store every type of waste you produce. Simply select the type, size, and number of bins you need, and we’ll deliver them to your care home anywhere in the UK.

You just have to arrange and pay for collection. This can be on a daily, weekly, or fortnightly schedule – depending on the size of your care home and amount of waste you need removing. We appreciate every nursing home is different and offer flexible terms, so you can get different bins collected at different times.

Our licensed waste carriers will pick up your bins, bags, and containers from an accessible point at an agreed time. They’ll then transport to a nearby waste disposal and recycling facility for safe and efficient disposal – avoiding landfill wherever possible. We can tailor our care home waste management services to suit your business.

Call 0800 211 8390 or contact us online for a free quote today for care home waste removal. Our friendly and expert team can assess the needs of your nursing or care home and advise on the right bins, collection schedule, and more for cost-effective and legal commercial waste disposal.

Contact us today for a quote

How does care home 
waste collection work?

  1. Select your free bins

    It’s quick and easy to organise commercial waste collection for your business.

    Simply start by telling us the:

    • Type of waste you need removing
    • Size of bins you require
    • Number of bins you want

    We’ll provide you with a free quote.

  2. Arrange delivery

    When you’re happy with the type, number, and size of free bins, tell us when you need your bins delivering.

    Let us know about any access issues where you want the bins delivering – such as locked gates, access codes and times. We’ll get you up and running in no time.

  3. Fill up your bin

    After the free bins arrive at your chosen location, fill them up with the agreed waste type.

    Make sure you remain within any weight limits for the specific waste type and bin size.

  4. Get your business waste collected

    We’ll arrange waste collection at a time and frequency to suit you and the amount of waste you have.

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Care home 
waste regulations

All storage and disposal procedures for hazardous waste materials are set out by a variety of acts, including the:

  • Environmental Protection Act 1990
  • Special Waste Regulation Act 1996
  • Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)

Failure to adhere to these proceedings could result in fines and/or prison sentences. Given the duty of care to look after the elderly residents you have, it’s vital to dispose of used medications correctly and make sure they don’t mix with non-expired medications.

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How to dispose of 
clinical waste in a care setting

To dispose of clinical waste in a care home, it’s essential that you have the right waste bins and bags to safely store each type. This helps reduce the risk of cross-contamination (especially important when dealing with potentially hazardous and infectious clinical waste). Plus, it ensures each waste type should be disposed of in the proper way.

When it comes to sharps (needles, syringes, or lancets), there’s an increased risk of laceration or infection. There are plastic sharps bins you can use that are designed to hold sharps and avoid punctures.

Separate clinical waste by types and store in the appropriate bins or bags. These are available in different colours to help you easily sort and store each one. Types of clinical waste bags available include:

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Care home waste
FAQs

  • CARE HOME How should you dispose of controlled drugs in a care home in England?

    Controlled drugs refers to types of medicines that must be safely administered, stored, or disposed of. This is because they have the potential to be dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands – they could be misused or sold illegally, for example.

    Care and nursing homes in England often handle lots of different drugs and medications, to provide proper care for their patients. However, for many reasons, they’re also responsible for ensuring the drugs are properly disposed of.

    You may need to dispose of medication for the following reasons:

    • Patient death (drugs can only be given to who they were prescribed)
    • Drugs past expiry date
    • Changes in treatment

    You can keep track of what medicine needs to be disposed of and when by ensuring your records are up to date. When opening controlled drugs, check their expiry date and how long they remain useful when open.

    The process of disposing of drugs is straightforward – they simply need to be returned to the supplier – such as a local pharmacy or doctors’ surgery. They’ll dispose of them properly. Drugs should not be thrown away with general rubbish.

    We can help you with any type of specialist waste disposal produced by your nursing or care establishment. This includes confidential waste, which is disposed of responsibly and with due care.

  • CARE HOME What hazardous substances are in a care home?

    Most hazardous substances in a care home are related to the medical care provided. From drugs and medicines to any PPE that gets contaminated with it, it can all require proper hazardous waste disposal to protect human health and the environment. It’s important all care home staff are aware of the hazardous substances present and proper storage and disposal methods.

    The main types of hazardous substances in a care home can include:

    • Expired or unused medicines
    • PPE contaminated with hazardous substances
    • Bandages, dressings, and wipes
    • Cleaning products
    • Solvents and paints
    • Chemical waste
  • CARE HOME Whose responsibility is it to ensure waste is correctly disposed of in care?

    Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 it’s the responsibility of any business that produces, keeps, stores, transports, or disposes of waste to ensure it’s done properly. This includes care homes as they class as a business and generate what’s referred to as controlled waste.

    Therefore, it’s your responsibility to ensure all care home waste you produce is stored, removed, and disposed of in a safe, legal, and environmentally friendly manner. Even when it’s left your care home, you still have a responsibility for the waste, so should use licensed waste carriers to guarantee proper steps are followed for its transport and disposal.

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Get a fast and free quote

Get a fast FREE quote for care home waste collection

  • Free quote within 1 hr
  • Any type of nursing home waste
  • FREE bins and delivery
  • We cover all of the UK