Dental Waste Collection & Disposal
Dental waste management is essential for every dentist, whether you run a single or multi-chair clinic. As most dental waste is a form of clinical waste that may be infectious and hazardous in certain cases, arranging safe and proper storage, collection, and disposal should be a priority area for all dentists.
Dental waste disposal must be done in a way that’s fully compliant with the relevant laws on clinical and hazardous waste. If you’re unsure what the regulations require of dental waste management for your business, at Business Waste we can help with free advice and assistance.
Understand more about dental waste disposal guidelines, arrange delivery of relevant bins and bags and collections with our services from anywhere in the UK. For more information or a free quote don’t hesitate to contact us online or call 0800 211 8390 today.
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Dental waste
collection
Our dental waste disposal service can deliver free bins to any dentist practice in the UK – you simply fill with the appropriate waste and pay for collection. We work with a nationwide network of licensed waste carriers who will pick up your waste bins, bags, and containers from an accessible place.
You can arrange dental waste collection on a daily, weekly, or fortnightly scheduled, based on the types and amount of waste you produce. Single-chair practices may only need weekly collections, while larger clinics might want dental hazardous waste disposal daily.
One of our licensed waste carriers will collect and transport your dentist waste to a nearby and appropriate facility for treatment and disposal. This way you can rest assured that any kind of waste – from gypsum dental waste to amalgam, PPE, and more – is removed in line with all relevant regulations.
Get a free quote for dental waste collection wherever your practice is in the UK. Contact us online or call 0800 211 8390 to arrange collection. Or speak to one of our expert team about your dental waste management needs and they’ll be more than happy to answer all your questions.
Dental waste
bins, bags, and containers
We can provide a range of free dental waste bins, bags, and containers to safely and securely store clinical, amalgam, and other waste in your practice. Use the appropriate bins and then pay for collection to arrange proper disposal of all your dental waste.
All the relevant dental waste bins, bags, and containers are designed to hold specific waste types in line with any regulations covering healthcare waste (including dental and amalgam waste). Rest assured that the waste from your dentist clinic is stored, collected, and disposed of responsibly with our bins and bags.
Discover some common waste bins, bags, and containers used for all sorts of dental waste.
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Dental (amalgam) waste bins
White clinical waste bins to store waste amalgam, grindings, capsules, and packaging containing residues.
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Sharps bins
Available in different colours to separate and store contaminated needles, scalpels, and syringes.
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Anatomical waste bags
Red waste bags to store contaminated PPE, swabs, and blood generated during dental surgery and other activities.
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How does dental
waste collection work?
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Select your free bins
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Arrange delivery
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Fill up your bin
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What is dental waste?
Dental waste is any form of waste produced by a dental facility. This encompasses standard waste streams such as general waste and dry mixed recycling, as well as specialist waste streams like clinical waste, amalgam waste and hazardous waste.
Whether your practice is small or large, public or private, we can provide dental waste management services to meet the requirements of your business. Our professional waste management services provide collection and disposal services for the following types of common dental waste:
- Amalgam waste
- Sharps
- Lead foils
- X-ray film, chemicals, equipment, fixer and developer
- Precious metals
- Pharmaceutical and anaesthetics
- Dental moulds
- Hard dental waste
Generally, dental waste can be classified into two types of waste – clinical and amalgam.
Dental clinical waste and
dental amalgam waste
Dental clinical waste
Clinical dental waste can typically be hazardous and may be harmful to either the people in contact with the waste or the environment. Examples of dental clinical waste include:
- Human tissue
- Blood
- Swabs
- Dressings
- Sharps – such as scalpels and needles
- Pharmaceutical products
Dental amalgam waste
Dental amalgam waste is any waste that may contain amalgam. This can be incredibly harmful to humans due to the presence of mercury. It usually needs to be placed inside a container with a mercury suppressant. Amalgam waste must always be handled and collected by a fully authorised and credible waste management company.
Official NHS guidance states that as of January 2019, all dental facilities must use an amalgam separator. As of January 2021, amalgam separators must retain at least 95% of amalgam particles.
We’ll advise next steps to ensure your dental office is set up with the required equipment.
How is dental waste
disposed of?
Disposal of dental waste depends on the type of waste. A large amount of the waste that dentists produce must be treated differently from other types of waste. For example, sharps, pharmaceutical and anaesthetic waste must be handled and disposed of by a qualified and competent individual.
These types of hazardous waste that occur in the dentistry setting must be managed appropriately, so they don’t cause unnecessary harm to human health, animals, and the environment. For example, X-ray film packets contain lead foils that may be toxic and require secure storage and disposal.
Certain dental waste types may be incinerated as the safest option, while others can be treated and potentially reused in some form. Learn more about hazardous waste disposal and clinical waste disposal.
Dental waste
disposal guidelines
Dental practices produce a wide array of waste types. These must be separated and stored in appropriate bins, bags, or containers to protect human health and avoid the risk of cross-contamination.
There are colour-coded clinical waste bins and bags to help you easily separate and store the medical waste your dental practice produces. These are:
- Dental (amalgam) waste – white clinical waste bins
- Anatomical waste – red clinical waste bags
- Clinical non-infectious waste – yellow and black clinical waste bags
- Cytotoxic and cytostatic waste – purple waste bags
- Highly infectious hazardous waste – yellow clinical waste bags
- Clinical infectious waste – orange clinical waste bags
All dental amalgam waste should stay in a specialist dental container with a mercury suppressant. This reduces the risk of harm to your dental team from the mercury vapours. Dental practices also need an amalgam separator installed to capture any amalgam particulates in wastewater – fitted both to the dental chair and dirty sink.
In the UK, the Department of Health has guidelines for the safe management of healthcare waste that apply to dentists. Failure to safely store, remove, and dispose of any dental waste could result in fines for your practice. Speak to our team to ensure your business remains compliant.
Dental waste EWC codes
Dental practices must classify waste correctly before collection, so the right container, paperwork, and disposal route can be used.
Common dental waste EWC codes include:
- 18 01 01 for sharps
- 18 01 03* for infectious clinical waste
- 18 01 04 for non-infectious offensive healthcare waste
- 18 01 08* for cytotoxic and cytostatic medicines
- 18 01 09 for other medicines
- 18 01 10* for dental amalgam waste.
Note: An asterisk means the waste is hazardous.
We help dental practices arrange the correct waste containers, licensed collections, and paperwork for each stream. This is important for dental practice owners, as the Environment Agency advises getting specialist advice if you are unsure which code applies.
Dental waste FAQs
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What is special waste in dentistry?
Special waste in dentistry is waste that may cause contagion or infection. This type of waste is usually deemed to be hazardous and should only be collected and disposed of by an authorised company. The most obvious risk that may come from special waste in dentistry is the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV or TB.
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What waste goes in a yellow bag?
Yellow bags are used for infectious waste and contain items that need to be incinerated. This could include teeth, teeth with fillings, medicines and anaesthetics, used or unused syringes, as well as highly infectious waste such as infected blood. Yellow bags must only be used for high-risk waste and must be collected and disposed of on a frequent basis.
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What is gypsum dental waste?
Gypsum is a material commonly used to make dental moulds. Gypsum dental waste is therefore used, damaged, contaminated, or unusable moulds that require disposal. Non-infectious gypsum waste can be incinerated or sometimes recovered. Gypsum dental waste cannot go to landfill as it may biodegrade and release toxins that are harmful to human and environmental health.
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How do dentists dispose of teeth?
Teeth that don’t contain amalgam can be disposed of in a sharps bin. Before disposal they should be treated with appropriate chemicals and disinfectants to ensure any teeth are safe for handling. Teeth that contain amalgam can be disposed of in a white dental amalgam bin, which will be sent for appropriate treatment and disposal.
Get a fast and free dental waste disposal quote
Get a fast FREE quote for dental waste collection
- Free quote within 1 hr
- Any type of dentist waste
- FREE bins and delivery
- We cover all of the UK
Published 12th April 2022 by Mark Hall. Last modified 15th July 2026