Published date: 05 July 2024
Put waste in its place – know your colours
With so many different coloured bags for your waste, do you know what goes where?
Across the NHS, a substantial amount of waste is put in the wrong waste bins.
One of the biggest issues is the incorrect use of the clinical waste stream. The orange waste bag in particular is meant for items used to treat those with infections only. So this includes things like infectious PPE, dressings and swabs. But, a lot of people also put non-infectious, general and recyclable waste in there too.
This results in less waste being recycled, and it becomes much more expensive to process.
To address these issues, in 2023, NHS England launched a new waste strategy with the aim to reduce clinical waste.
The NHS Waste Strategy aims to generate approximately £11 million in savings, every year for the next ten years, by helping colleagues manage waste effectively.
The plan should lead to a 30% reduction in carbon emissions and help support the NHS’s net-zero targets.
To support this, NHS Property Services (NHSPS) is aiming to increase the amount of recycling across our sites and put recycling bins in even more of our properties in the next year.
What have we done to date?
We’re committed to improving recycling and lowering costs across the NHS estate.
99% of our waste is diverted from landfill by either being recycled or incinerated to generate energy.
We’ve developed a waste e-learning training course and produced helpful guides and information around waste for all of our colleagues to make it really easy for them to understand and implement bins at our sites.
We’ve removed single use plastics from our catering areas including plastic cutlery and plates to reduce waste and improve the environmental impact.
Why does recycling matter?
Where you put your waste makes a huge difference and can help save the NHS a lot of money. For example, dry mixed recycling is 25% cheaper to dispose of than general waste.
When it comes to waste, do you know your colours?
- Black bags - General waste
You can use these like a household bin. Any non-recyclable items such as coffee cups, tissues, greasy food packaging , and small amounts of food and glass can be put in a black bag. - Clear bag - Dry mixed recycling
These are for food and drink tins, cans, bottles, paper, cardboard and general mixed plastics. Including, soft drink bottles, milk cartons, yoghurt pots, margarine tubs and soap bottles. Do not put glass, food, or liquid in these bins. - Yellow and Black/Tiger stripe bags – Offensive waste
These are for waste that has been used to treat non-infectious patients. Use these to throw away nappies, sanitary products, dressings and non-infectious PPE. Do not put paper hand towels, medicines or sharps in these bags. - Orange bags – Clinical infectious waste
You can use these bags for waste that’s been used to treat suspected or known to be infectious patients. This includes PPE, infectious dressings and plasters and infectious swabs. - Yellow bags – Clinical infectious contaminated waste
These are for infectious waste that has been contaminated with medicine and/or chemicals. This includes infectious medically contaminates diagnostic kits, IV bags, infectious swabs contaminated with medicine and/or chemicals. - Yellow and Purple Strips bags – Cytotoxic/Cytostatic waste
Use these bags for items that have been contaminated by cytotoxic and cytostatic waste including IV bags, PPE and dressings.
Download our waste streams guide
You can use our poster below to help and remind your colleagues about how to properly throw away their waste.
Sticking labels onto bins and placing posters above your bins could help your colleagues understand the NHS waste streams. And stop waste being put in the wrong bins.
Download our 7 types of plastic guide
Use this guide to learn the different types of plastic. What can be recycled and what it can be turned into.
Print and put these above your bins to help colleagues recycle.
Want more information?
Every item we can recycle or use to create energy saves the NHS money.
Don’t waste your waste.
Speak to your NHSPS site contact who can help you install the right waste bins with the right labels and posters.
