Clinical Waste Bins

We supply the full range of colour-coded clinical waste containers including yellow-lidded bins for infectious waste requiring incineration, tiger-stripe bins for offensive/hygiene waste, yellow with purple lid for cytotoxic waste, and red-lidded bins for anatomical waste. All bins are supplied in compliance with HTM 07-01 colour-coding guidance.

Infectious waste is waste with a suspected risk of infection, dressings, swabs, and items contaminated with blood or body fluids. Infectious waste requires incineration in yellow bags or containers. Offensive waste, such as nappies, incontinence pads, and hygiene waste, is unpleasant but not infectious, and is collected in tiger-stripe (yellow/black) containers for alternative treatment rather than full incineration.

Bin size should be matched to the volume of waste generated at each point of use. Small 5–7 litre bins suit individual clinical rooms and treatment areas with low throughput. Larger 20–30 litre bins are more appropriate for busy treatment rooms, dental surgeries, or ward areas. The bin should never be more than three-quarters full before removal, overfilling creates spillage risk and is a regulatory non-compliance.

Clinical waste bins and bags should be secured once removed from the point of generation to prevent unauthorised access or accidental spillage during storage and collection. Purpose-made clinical waste bins with secure lids are recommended at the point of use. Storage areas awaiting collection must also be secured against access by unauthorised persons, in line with duty of care requirements.

Clinical waste in the UK is governed by the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005, the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (duty of care), and the Health Technical Memorandum HTM 07-01 (Safe management of healthcare waste). Businesses must hold a duty of care consignment note for each collection, use a licensed waste carrier, and retain waste transfer documentation for a minimum of three years.

No. Sharps, including needles, syringes, lancets, and scalpel blades, must be disposed of in dedicated sharps containers (yellow or yellow/black lidded rigid bins), never in soft clinical waste bags or general clinical bins. Placing sharps in soft-sided waste containers is a significant needlestick injury risk and is non-compliant with sharps safety regulations.

Collection frequency depends on waste volume and available secure storage. phs can arrange scheduled collections to match your specific needs.

A managed clinical waste service from phs includes bin supply, scheduled collection, compliant disposal by licensed carriers, and duty of care documentation, removing the administrative and compliance burden from your team. Buying bins outright means arranging your own licensed waste carrier, managing consignment notes, and ensuring storage and disposal compliance independently. For most clinical settings, a managed service reduces both cost and compliance risk.