Clinical waste

We collect and dispose of hazardous clinical waste for residents who have medical conditions that generate waste which must be disposed of under controlled conditions.

Accessing the service

The clinical waste service is free and you can use it if you have a referral from your:

• GP
• hospital or community nurse

Request a clinical waste collection online 

Alternatively, the referral can also be sent by email to streetsceneadministration@barnet.gov.uk or posted to:

Clinical Waste Team
Street Scene
London Borough of Barnet
Oakleigh Depot 
Oakleigh Road South
London
N11 1HJ

Collections

You will be advised what day we collect in your area when you contact our team to arrange a collection. The service operates from 6 am. Ensure the waste is left outside the front of your property on your arranged collection day before 6 am. 

All sacks must be tied and be in yellow clinical waste bags or we cannot collect them. We will supply new clinical waste sacks to you if required when we collect. If you require a new sharps container please note we only provide the standard size 5 litre container.

Hazardous clinical waste

Hazardous clinical waste is defined as any waste, which consists wholly or partly of:

• Blood or bodily fluids
• Swabs and / or dressings
• Syringes, needles or other sharp instruments
• Any infectious waste known or likely to be contaminated which, unless rendered safe, may prove hazardous to any person coming into contact with it.
• drugs or other pharmaceutical products

If you produce any of the waste listed above, you can request a clinical waste collection.

Non-hazardous clinical waste

Non-hazardous clinical waste can be disposed of as normal household waste in your black refuse bin. We recommend these items are double bagged to ensure no leakages. Non-hazardous clinical waste is any item of waste used for the collection or disposal of human excreta, as well as sanitary waste, incontinence waste / nappies. This excludes waste from medical treatments.

Types of non-hazardous clinical waste include:

• Sanitary towels
• Nappies and incontinence pads - unless the person / child has a medical condition that requires them to be treated as hazardous clinical waste – see above for definitions.
• Incontinence bed pads
• Stoma bags

Residents under the care of a health professional

If you are treated at home by a community nurse or a member of the NHS profession, the health professional should remove any waste produced as a result and take it back to the trust base for appropriate disposal.