Health Care Facilities General Waste
Health Care Facility (HCF) general waste
includes drained dialysis tubes, disposable incontinence pads, sanitary
napkins, tampons, nappies, and other sanitary wastes resulting from the
control of body fluids.
Will WSN Environmental Solutions
accept my Health Care Facility general waste?
WSN accepts HCF general waste as a special waste at our landfills only.
WSN does not accept HCF waste that is not classified as general waste.
WSN does not accept HCF general waste
at our Transfer Stations due to:
- industrial and community sensitivity
- residues from the waste may be deposited on the floor during busy periods
- the waste may be odorous
All loads of waste are monitored at our Waste and Recycling Centres to detect the presence of unacceptable components. Our transfer stations and landfills are not licenced to receive clinical, cytotoxic, pharmaceutical, radioactive or sharps waste. If any of these wastes are found in a load, the whole load will be set aside for removal by the customer to an appropriately licenced treatment facility. Sanctions to protect WSN from breaches of licence conditions may be applied to the transporter and the generator of the waste.
The following material is not accepted at any WSN site:
- Clinical waste — sharps; human tissue (excluding hair, teeth and nails); bulk body fluids and blood; disposable materials and equipment heavily soiled with or containing blood; laboratory specimens and cultures; animal tissues, carcasses or other waste arising from laboratory investigation or for medical or veterinary research that has not been treated to standards approved by the Director General of NSW Health;
- Cytotoxic waste — residual cytotoxic drugs; discarded material from the preparation and administration of cytotoxic drugs;
- Pharmaceutical waste — residual, expired or discarded pharmaceuticals; filters and materials contaminated by pharmaceutical products;
- Radioactive waste — material contaminated with radioactive substances arising from medical or research use of radionuclides;
- Sharps waste — any waste resulting from medical, nursing, dental, veterinary, pharmaceutical, skin penetration or other related clinical activity, and that contains instruments or devices that:
the skin (eg, needles, syringes with needles or surgical instruments;
- are designed for such a purpose;
- or have the potential to cause injury or infection.
Unacceptable material does not include any such waste that has been treated by a method approved in writing by the Director General of NSW Health.
Health, safety and environmental issues must be addressed when presenting these wastes for disposal at WSN Environmental Solutions (WSN) Centres. Special wastes are handled separately at our landfills to avoid their direct contact with workers and machinery, and to minimise any nuisance. Greater supervision is applied and the wastes are compacted by machinery only after they have been covered with a layer of mixed waste.
HCF general wastes must be booked as special wastes, which can only be accepted at nominated WSN landfills (not transfer stations). These wastes must be booked into a WSN landfill at least one working day prior to disposal by telephoning 1300 651 116 between 7.00 am and 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday.
Please note that unused bookings do not carry forward. If you miss your appointment, you will need to make a new booking.
WSN Waste and Recycling Centres that accept HCF general wastes:
- Belrose
- Eastern Creek
- Lucas Heights
From time to time site operations may vary, which may limit access to some of these facilities. You will be notified about any likely changes when booking your waste.
Charges and payment methods are available from our Customer Service staff on telephone 1300 651 116.
