Frequently Asked Questions

A. PHS All Clear can effectively manage all healthcare and clinical waste, as well as sharps, dressings and offensive waste from similar activities including be health and beauty premises, veterinary clinics and tattoo palours. A list of EWC codes that we are able to collect on your behalf can be found in the Clinical and Healthcare Waste - A Brief Guide section.

A. Clinical Waste is defined by the Controlled Waste Regulations (1992) as:

A). Any waste which consists of wholly or partly of human or animal tissue, blood or other bodily fluids, excretions, drugs or other pharmaceutical products, swabs and dressing or syringes, needles or other sharp instruments, being waste unless rendered safe may prove hazardous to any person coming into contact with it and

B). Any other waste arising from medial, nursing, dental, pharmaceutical or similar practice, investigation, treatment, care, teaching or research, or the collection of blood for transfusion, being waste which may cause infection to any person coming into contact with it"

A. Healthcare waste is classified under the European Waste Catalogue code, chapter 18 as wastes from natal care, diagnosis, treatment or prevention of disease in humans or animals. Healthcare Premises include hospitals, nursing homes, dental surgeries, GP surgeries and veterinary practices.

Examples of waste types include:

• - Infectious waste
• - Sharps waste
• - Medicinal waste
• - Laboratory cultures
• - Offensive waste

A. Waste is deemed hazardous when it contains substance or has properties that might make it harmful to human health or the environment. The Hazardous Waste regulations 2005 identify 14 groups of hazardous waste types which have to be segregated, handled and disposed of in a safe manner to prevent harm to human life or the environment.

Examples of These Hazardous Properties Include:

• - Explosive
• - Flammable
• - Harmful
• - Toxic
• - Infectious

In simple terms, If you cannot guarantee that your clinical waste is free from infectious micro-organisms then the waste should be treated as hazardous waste.

A. Generally speaking, all sites producing hazardous waste in England and Wales need to register with the Environment Agency. Some exemptions exist for specific sites that have defined 'low risk' and produce less than 200 kg of hazardous waste per annum. For details on exemptions please see the Legislation section for further details

There are no requirements for hazardous waste producers to register with SEPA in Scotland or NIEA in Northern Ireland.

PHS All Clear can register your site on your behalf. There is a fee for doing so and registration must be renewed annually. Please contact us if you require premises notification registration or would like further guidance.

A. Businesses are required to keep the consignment notes of hazardous waste they have produced for 3 years (from the date of removal). Additionally, you must also keep returns from the waste disposal contractor certifying the receipt of this waste and the disposal of the waste at a licensed Hazardous Waste disposal facility. See the Legislation section for further details

A. No. Non-hazardous waste and hazardous waste are no longer permitted to be co-disposed at the same sites. See the Legislation section for further details

A. All collections have a specified EWC code which indentifies the type of waste PHS All Clear are obliged to collect. Please see Clinical and Healthcare Waste - A Brief Guide for further information on segregation of waste streams or contact us for guidance on 0870 60 300 55 or email customerservices@phsallclear.co.uk.

A. Should we have missed a collection due to an operational problem we will always try and contact you the day of your scheduled collection and advise when collections will take place. If you have not been contacted after 24 hrs and you believe your collection has been missed please email customerservices@phsallclear.co.uk with your account number and company name along with the day you believe the collection has been missed. Please note on Bank holidays, we generally run a few days behind dependent on the duration and disposal availability.