Clinical Waste Disposal Solutions that Improve Sustainability and Efficiency
Sharpsmart’s clinical waste disposal solutions are designed to protect people, reduce waste destined for high-temperature incineration and landfill, conserve costs, and put staff safety and infection control at the forefront of clinical waste management.
Clinical Waste Services – Driven by Safety
Sharpsmart has created first-class solutions to manage clinical waste disposal with methods that optimise safety and drive waste volume and cost reductions.
After identifying what clinical waste is, it’s crucial to know that stringent regulations govern its collection, transport and disposal. With over 30 years of experience in healthcare, Sharpsmart has the solutions, licensing and compliance expertise to protect the safety risk exposure and regulatory responsibilities of healthcare facilities in the total management of clinical waste.
Sharpsmart puts safety first when developing our waste management plans, which is why our clinical waste services aim to provide disposal of clinical waste at the point-of-use. By providing point-of-use disposal, the risk of infection transfer is minimised while waste segregation is optimised.
Request a quote or contact us for more details about our clinical waste management process.
How to Dispose of Clinical Waste
Ensuring safe clinical waste collection, disposal, and management is a critical component of infection control and prevention within healthcare facilities. Compliance with these protocols not only ensures public safety but also minimises the environmental impact of clinical waste, which can be significant if not managed properly.
Here are detailed steps detailing how to dispose of clinical waste:
Identify and Segregate
It is essential to correctly identify the type of clinical waste at the point of generation. This classification of waste involves using colour-coded bins or sacks to segregate waste according to its hazardous properties. Such segregation is crucial as it determines the appropriate treatment and disposal method required.
Use Proper Containers
Place all identified clinical waste into designated containers that are built to contain and secure this type of waste safely. Sharpsmart offers a range of containers, such as sharps containers for needles and other sharps waste, and Clinismart units for other clinical waste types. These containers are designed to minimise the risk of spillage and exposure during the storage and transportation phases. We also cater to bagged waste streams with our space-efficient Bag to Bed System.
Where Does Clinical Waste Go? Professional Collection Options
Regularly scheduled pickups by certified waste contractors that specialise in handling clinical waste. These services are equipped to deal with various types of clinical waste, ensuring that it is transported and treated according to legal and safety standards. This step is vital for safeguarding public health, as well as complying with regulations on a local and national level.
What Happens to Clinical Waste? Treatment and Disposal
Wondering what happens to clinical waste? Depending on its categorisation, clinical waste may undergo different treatments:
High-Risk Waste
Waste that poses the highest danger to public health or the environment requires treatment through high-temperature incineration at an authorised facility. This method effectively neutralises harmful pathogens and chemicals, reducing the risk of any adverse environmental impact.
Lower-Risk Waste
Clinical waste that poses a lesser risk can be treated using methods such as sterilisation. This alternative treatment is adequate for waste derived from patients with known infections but categorised as lower risk. Sterilisation helps in safely repurposing or disposing of the waste without the environmental impact associated with incineration.
Environmental Considerations
It’s important to consider the environmental implications of clinical waste disposal. Waste that cannot be recycled or repurposed typically ends up in controlled landfill sites. However, with effective segregation and treatment, the amount of waste sent to landfills can be significantly reduced, minimising the overall environmental footprint.
Clinismart: the future of clinical waste management
Infection minimising innovation for the collection of Clinical Waste
The IN64 Clinismart is the first infectious waste system to truly modernise healthcare waste management. Reducing time and labour, preventing infection transfer, eliminating multi-handling of waste, preventing sharps injuries, and dramatically improving waste segregation, the Clinismart ushers in a new era of safe point-of-use and cost-effective clinical waste disposal.
How to Handle Clinical Waste with Point-of-Use Segregation
Managing waste safely in the patient environment
Designed as a point-of-use sharps solution, the Sharpsmart AT64 + S14 + Accessmart combo enables dual hands-free disposal with reduced footprint. With infectious waste deposited into the AT64, the co-mounted S14 captures smaller needles and finer syringes in its counter-balanced safety tray. Giving seamless mobility to the movement of waste, this innovative Sharpsmart solution enables clinical staff to move waste in and out of patient environments safely.
Optimising Clinical Waste Management: Reducing Costs and Enhancing Compliance
Let’s look at clinical waste management costs in human terms
High clinical waste disposal costs are often the result of everyday items like empty coffee cups finding their way into clinical waste bins. At Sharpsmart, we work alongside clinical staff to reduce waste volumes through in-depth training, bin placement that encourages positive segregation behaviours, colour-coded containers with clear labelling, and ongoing audits to determine problem locations. We help you ensure the right waste goes into the right bin, keeping your facility compliant and your disposal costs down.
Be Sustainable. Choose Reusable
99.6% reduction in the amount of plastic landfilled per annum; 84% reduction in carbon emissions. Upon converting from reusable sharps containers to the Sharpsmart reusable sharps system, one hospital achieved a 28% waste reduction across their 103 facilities, achieving a total waste reduction of 3.9 tons of plastic and cardboard waste per 100 beds per annum. Furthermore, a 51% reduction in container exchange labour was achieved by the install of larger Sharpsmart containers that were more suitable to volume requirements.
Browse Our Clinically Engineered Products
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AccessoriesSmall Delivery Cart
A compact designed cart for transporting multiple Sharpsmart containers; rubber buffers and brakes minimise noise.
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Accessories64 Large Internal Delivery Cart
With a compact design, its rubber buffers and brakes minimise noise and enhances mobility in a busy setting.
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ContainersAT64 | Clinismart Container
A revolutionary new approach to the management of infectious waste; the Clinismart is unrivalled in safety, efficiency and segregation.
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ContainersS14 | Sharpsmart Container for Non-Medicinal Sharps
Sharps container for non-medicinally contaminated sharps, with inbuilt no-hands access safety tray.
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ContainersS22 | Sharpsmart Container for Non-Medicinal Sharps
22 Litre Sharps container for non-medicinally contaminated sharps, with inbuilt no-hands-access safety tray.
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ContainersS32 | Sharpsmart Reusable Sharps Container
32 Litre reusable container for medicinally contaminated sharps; features an inbuilt counterweighted safety tray.
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ContainersIN64 | Clinismart Container
A revolutionary clinical approach to the management of infectious and medicinal waste.
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Bag To BedsideTiger Striped Offensive Waste Bags
Made for the collection of non-infectious medical waste, classified as ‘offensive’ waste
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Bag To BedsideOrange Infectious Waste Bags
Orange bags manufactured for the collection of infectious waste. Compatible with Daniels Bag dispenser and bag grabber.
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Bag To BedsideOffensive Waste Bin Label
Designed for application on offensive waste bins. Simple outline of what constitutes offensive waste.
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Bag To BedsideInfectious Waste Single-Use Label
Designed for single-use application on infectious waste bins. Simple outline of what constitutes infectious waste.
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Bag To BedsideThe 5 Moments of Sharps Disposal Poster
Educating users on the five moments of safe disposal of single-use instruments into yellow-lidded Sharpsmart containers
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Bag To BedsideThe 5 Moments of Isolating Infectious Waste Poster
Educating users on the five moments of isolation and disposal of infectious waste.
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Bag To BedsideBag Dispenser
This small compact bag dispenser can be direct-mounted onto the wall for easy retrieval of plastic bags.
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Bag To BedsideOffensive Bag Dispenser Label
The label outlines what waste is permitted to be disposed of in the offensive waste stream.
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Bag To BedsideInfectious Bag Dispenser Label
The label outlines what waste is permitted to be disposed of in the infectious waste stream.
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AccessoriesThe Cartsmart
Enabling point-of-use positioning of all Sharpsmart S-Series sharps, cytotoxic and pharmaceutical containers.
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Bag To BedsideBag Grabber – White
This compact bag grabber can be mounted on the back or side of an Accessmart trolley to enable point-of-use waste segregation.
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AccessoriesSoft Close 64 Series Accessmart
This mobile trolley enables point-of-use hands-free disposal and the reduction of odour expulsion with its soft close mechanism.
Aligning with Clinical Waste Regulations
Sharpsmart’s product and service solutions ensure that your clinical waste and Category A waste management plan is compliantly aligned with CQC guidelines and 2012 Controlled Waste Regulations
The 2012 Controlled Waste Regulations defines clinical waste as:
(a) contains viable micro-organisms or their toxins which are known or reliably believed to cause disease in humans or other organisms
(b) contains or contaminated with medicine containing a biologically active pharmaceutical agent
(c) is a sharp, or bodily fluid or other biological material (including human and animal tissue containing or contaminated with a dangerous substance and waste of a similar nature)
“Sharpsmart goes above and beyond…”
Sharpsmart have been a supplier to the Walton Centre since 2010 and over my 24 years in the NHS I have witnessed when contractors provide a service which meets the specification. That is great, however with Sharpsmart – the team go above and beyond.
Paula Bamber, Head of Procurement
The Walton Centre
“Over and above service…”
We are more than happy to work with Sharpsmart. Nothing is a problem and this was recently demonstrated when one of our terminally ill patients wanted to be treated at home. We could not have done this without Sharpsmart who provided us with the necessary equipment, out of hours so the patient could have their wish list.
Steve Bell, Waste Manager
James Cook University Hospital
“Sharpsmart’s impact on efficiency…”
NCUH has been working with Sharpsmart for a number of years and have found the service to be first class. The information received about each product, along with savings made , have been great. Staff have been outstanding in assisting us with any issues we have had and resolving in the quickest time
Nicola Little, Transport Services Officer
North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust
“Reduces our footprint…”
The reason why we chose to use the Sharpsmart sharps container was due to the sustainability issues of being able to recycle the actual sharps bin rather than incinerating them and causing more issues with carbon footprint.
June Ayre, Infection Control Matron
George Eliot Hospital
“I would recommend Sharpsmart…”
We have used Sharpsmart’s reusable sharps containers since 2004 and have always been given a great service. We have just engaged Sharpsmart for total waste management and are hoping to showcase the Trust for the sustainable waste management practices we have achieved in partnership with Sharpsmart.
Steve Bell, Waste Manager
James Cook University Hospital
FAQ’s
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