Specialised cleansing

The Street Sweeping Team will give advice on how to dispose, or collect hazardous waste such as clinical waste, broken glass, medicines, car batteries, gas cylinder, spillages, dead animals, asbestos and syringes.

Clinical waste

Clinical Waste is defined in the Controlled Waste Regulations 1992. These regulations define it as any waste which consists wholly or partly:

• human or animal tissue
• blood or bodily fluids
• excretions
• medicines or other pharmaceutical products
• swabs or dressings
• syringes, needles, finger pricking devices and lancets

If you want to find out more about clinical waste, visit the DEFRA website.

Reporting hazardous waste:

• call the Waste Enquiry Line on 01752 668000
• or you can fill out our cleaner streets online form

The Street Sweeping Team will remove any hazardous waste by the next working day after it has been reported.

Dead animals

Street Sweeping will arrange for the removal and disposal of dead animals from all publicly accessible areas immediately that they are reported. Where possible the collars are retrieved and kept should the owner claim them.

Hypodermic needles

If the waste is dangerous ie hypodermic needles, the team will remove any items within one hour of it being reported. Please do not email reports of hypodermic needles, contact the waste enquiry line.

We provide sharps boxes free of charge to domestic properties, please contact the waste enquiry line 01752 668000, where your call will be answered in confidence (please allow 1 week for delivery of boxes). Plymouth City Council offer free delivery, collection and disposal of sharps boxes.

Private businesses, such as residential homes will have to find a private service through the Yellow Pages.

What is the wrong way to dispose of needles and syringes?

They should not be put loose into the dustbin as this presents a serious hazard to staff that collect and dispose of waste. Some people put their used needles and syringes into plastic bottles or cans. Again, this is not a good idea because needles can puncture these containers and harm staff involved in waste disposal.

Where do I keep my sharps bin?

Ideally, it should be kept near to where you regularly inject yourself. Then used needles and syringes can be put into it straightaway. Remember to keep it out of the reach of children.

What do I put in my sharps bin?

All needles, empty syringes, empty insulin cartridges and lancets. Some patients use B-D safe clip devices to remove the needle from the syringe. This does not need to be done if the needle and syringe are put straight into the sharps bin. You will no longer need a B-D safe clip so please ask your GP practice to remove this from your repeat prescription.

Asbestos

Asbestos is the name given to naturally occurring fibrous minerals that are contained within rock and mined in many countries, asbestos has a number of valuable properties including physical strength, resistance to chemicals, non-combustibility and good thermal and electrical insulation.

It is due to these properties that asbestos has been widely used in industry for a range of applications. However, when asbestos is disturbed or damaged, the fibres can be released into the air and inhaled, which creates a risk to human health.

If you are working on or removing asbestos containing materials you must take precautions to protect the health and safety of both yourself and others who may be affected, ie others in your household or visitors.  For further information on Asbestos please visit The Health and Safety Executive or The Environment Agency.

However, if you have a large quantity of asbestos containing materials to remove you should consider the services of a licensed asbestos removal contractor. Details of local contractors can be found in the Yellow Pages under Asbestos.

Plymouth City Council, Cleansing Team operates a free domestic asbestos collection scheme for those that chose not to use a licensed contractor. The scheme runs during the first week of every month. Only one collection per property per month is allowed.

The Cleansing Team will not collect asbestos pipe lagging, insulation board or loose asbestos. However, they will collect asbestos guttering, down pipes, small tiles and storage heaters provided the lengths do not exceed 6 feet and it is double wrapped.

Alternatively, you can take your asbestos containing material waste to Chelson Meadow for disposal. You must telephone them first on 01752 408408 or alternatively email them recycling@plymouth.gov.uk to check on the conditions of disposal, and to arrange a date and time for you to take the waste.

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