The management and treatment of infectious waste can be a challenge for the healthcare industry. With clinical waste categorised into many types such as offensive waste, orange bag, yellow bag and red lidded boxes to name a few, each requires to be stored and often processed differently.
Waste streams considered highly infectious, mainly in yellow bags or orange/yellow lidded boxes containing sharps, must go for high temperature incineration. Traditional energy from waste plants are not permitted or designed to dispose of it and such waste has to be incinerated at a much higher temperature of 1,110C.
In contrast, waste categorised as infectious (note, not highly infectious), namely orange bag waste, can technically be treated differently through a sterilisation process in an autoclave.
An autoclave is a pressure vessel that utilises steam to sterilise the waste. Once a target temperature is reached, it has to remain at this temperature for a period of time. The material generated is then sterile, but still needs to go for incineration or has to be dumped in landfill, either option at another facility – involving even more transport and associated cost.
Sending all infectious waste to one location to be treated at high temperature, avoids any unnecessary processing, enables more efficient transport, offers an elevated level of safety and minimises environmental impact, turning dangerous and infectious clinical waste into nothing but ash, heat and electricity.
In the past, the number of high temperature incineration plants and demand for capacity may have been an issue, however with the addition of two new plants coming online in the UK this year, Andusia are the one stop shop to treat all clinical waste in one place.
In addition to a new plant in Malvern, Worcestershire, becoming operational this month, from Q3 Andusia will also be sole suppliers to the largest clinical waste treatment plant built in the last 20 years in Stoke-on-Trent. Both plants will also generate electricity that will be put into the local grid. Win – win!
With our years of knowledge and expertise in the waste disposal industry Andusia can manage your waste in a safe and responsible manner offering you great peace of mind. We ensure waste is removed, transported and disposed of efficiently and compliantly.
You can find a list of EWC codes and the type of waste accepted at Malvern here on our website. To discuss your hazardous and clinical waste requirements, contact us today 01992 666257.