Compliant clinical waste management across London
phs delivers a fully compliant clinical waste management solution in London and the surrounding counties, designed around your organisation’s needs. Whether you operate in primary care, acute settings, or community healthcare, we make it simple to stay compliant with HTM 07‑01 guidance while keeping your teams focused on patient care.
As a trusted NHS supplier, phs provide you with everything you need for safe and compliant disposal, including UN‑approved clinical waste containers and bags with colour‑coding that aligns fully with HTM 07‑01 guidance for clinical  waste. Our trained technicians manage scheduled collections and ensure all waste is transported and processed through appropriate, legally compliant disposal routes.
With expert support from our London based compliance specialists, we help you stay on top of legislation, CQC expectations, duty of care requirements and pre‑acceptance audits.
With phs, you get a complete, worry‑free service that protects your staff, your patients and your compliance.
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How our service works
We can advise you on the right waste solution using the information you provide and, where required, complete a site survey before agreeing a collection schedule that works for your organisation
Getting started with phs is simple. Our specialists will help identify the right waste solution for your organisation and ensure your clinical waste is managed safely, compliantly, and efficiently.
1. Contact us & site assessment
A clinical waste specialist will discuss your requirements, waste types, location and collection needs. We review the types and volumes of waste you produce and, where required, carry out site surveys to recommend the most suitable processes and products.
2. Containers and documentation
We provide the appropriate colour-coded bags, bins, and sharps containers for your waste streams, along with all required documentation to help maintain compliance.
3. Scheduled collections
Our trained and DBS-checked, uniformed drivers collect your waste according to an agreed schedule, ensuring a reliable and uninterrupted service.
4. Safe & compliant disposal
Your clinical waste is transported to licensed treatment facilities and processed in accordance with current regulations. Disposal records are available through your Myphs portal for complete audit traceability.
What counts as clinical and healthcare waste
Clinical waste is any waste produced as a result of medical, dental, nursing or veterinary activity. It's often contaminated with bodily fluids that arise from healthcare procedures.
Clinical waste includes offensive waste, medicines, sharps and infectious or healthcare waste. Each has its own colour-coded stream and legal segregation and disposal route, so your team needs to know which is which at the point of use.
Infectious, sharps or clinical waste may be hazardous to those who come into contact with it due to the risk of infection or potential hazardous contamination, and is subject to strict controls.
Examples include:
Clinical waste has been contaminated with blood or other bodily fluids, or poses an infection risk. It includes dressings, gloves, aprons and other items used in patient care.Â
Needles, lancets, syringes and other sharp items that could cause a puncture injury. These need to go into a rigid, colour-coded sharps bin, not a bag. The bin colour indicates what the sharps have been used with, so correct segregation is extremely important.
Out-of-date, unused or contaminated medicines and drugs. This includes both controlled and non-controlled substances, each with its own disposal requirements. Flushing medicines or putting them in general waste is not legally compliant.
Cytotoxic and cytostatic waste, such as chemotherapy drugs and contaminated items like gloves and syringes used in their preparation or administration, falls within this category but has stricter handling requirements. It must be stored in purple-lidded containers and incinerated at a licensed high-temperature facility. It cannot be mixed with other pharmaceutical waste.
Dental practices produce several distinct waste streams, including amalgam waste, gypsum, and contaminated sharps. Each is regulated separately. Amalgam in particular requires specialist handling to prevent mercury entering the water supply.
Offensive waste isn't infectious but is unpleasant in nature, such as nappies, sanitary products and incontinence pads from a healthcare setting. It goes in a striped (tiger) bag, not a yellow clinical waste bag.
Compliant & Certified
Our services adhere to all relevant legal healthcare waste guidelines and current government regulations, giving you peace of mind.
Sustainable Collection
Through our LifeCycle Strategy, waste is diverted from landfill and sent to Energy Recovery Facilities (ERFs) by our partnerships with Energy-from-Waste (EfW) networks. Our bins are also made from up to 100% recycled materials.
Trusted by Thousands
With over 7,000 reviews and a 4.8 ‘Excellent’ Trustpilot rating, and over 120,000 customers nationwide including hundreds of NHS trusts, phs is a proven partner in hygiene and clinical waste management.
Nationwide Service with Local Trained Experts
Our transport and collection hubs are nationwide meaning a friendly London workforce with the experience and support of a national company. Our drivers are all DBS checked and ADR certified with regular training so they stay up to date with regulations.
Resources and Training
We offer a free CPD accredited online learning courses and resources. This includes access to our online E-Learning modules to aid with waste segregation and ensuring you comply. We can also give you face-to-face on-site training if needed.
Flexible Collection Frequencies
We offer a tailored flexible solution based on your needs. From scheduled weekly, fortnightly or monthly collections to adhoc services. Waste is collected at a schedule that suits your business needs, ensuring minimal disruption.
We’re really proud to have joined forces with phs. Our priority at our Barchester Healthcare homes is to provide the residents we care for with comfortable, living spaces, and having a reliable waste removal supplier is a key aspect of this.
Case Study: Clinical waste disposal at Barchester Care Homes
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) sets strict guidelines for clinical waste management in the UK. Key requirements include:Â Â
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SegregationÂ
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Having the correct storage bins, colour coded and labelledÂ
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Safe and secure transportationÂ
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Proper disposal Â
Facilities must have clear policies in place, provide staff training, conduct regular audits to ensure compliance. Failure to meet these requirements can result in fines or even closure of the facility. It's essential to follow CQC regulations closely to maintain a safe and hygienic environment for both staff and patients.Â
Clinical waste must be segregated at the point of generation using a colour-coded system to prevent cross-contamination and ensure safe disposal. Signage should be clear at disposal points. Here's a breakdown:
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Orange Bags: Non-infectious waste contaminated with bodily fluids (e.g. gloves, masks).Â
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Yellow Bags/Bins: Infectious waste requiring incineration (e.g. dressings from infectious patients).Â
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Purple Bags/Bins: Cytotoxic/cytostatic waste (e.g. chemotherapy-related items).Â
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Tiger Bags (Yellow & Black Striped): Offensive hygiene waste (e.g. nappies, incontinence pads).Â
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Blue Bins: Non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste (e.g. expired medicines).Â
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Red-Lidded Sharps Bins: Sharps contaminated with bodily fluids (e.g. needles, scalpels). Â
Storage durations vary by waste type and conditions:Â
Offensive waste:Â
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Up to 7 days if stored outsideÂ
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Up to 14 days if stored inside a buildingÂ
Infectious waste and refrigerated anatomical waste: Up to 14 days.Â
Unrefrigerated anatomical waste: Up to 24 hours, or 72 hours if over a weekend.Â
Cytotoxic/cytostatic drugs, pharmaceuticals, chemicals: Up to 6 months.Â
There is no fixed frequency, but collection should be:Â
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Frequent enough to prevent overflow and ensure compliance with storage time limits.Â
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Tailored to the volume and type of waste your facility generates.Â
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Aligned with CQC standards, which expect timely disposal to avoid health risks and regulatory breaches. Â
Most facilities arrange weekly or bi-weekly collections, but high-volume sites may require daily pickups. We can help you determine a schedule when you make an enquiry and get a quote. Â
Yes we can help you with one off clinical waste disposal. Our service can suit any frequency of collections, including ad hoc or emergency requests.
Healthcare waste producers must now label each waste container with their business name, postcode, the collector, and the date the waste was placed out. Unlabelled waste will no longer be collected, except for offensive waste which remains exempt. To read more on this visit our guide outlining more information on changes to EPR 5.07 legislation. Â
We use specialist, purpose-built clinical waste transport vehicles with fully trained staff wearing the correct PPE where needed. Â
Our staff will handle everything on the day. You’ll be provided with new bins and all the relevant paperwork, which is then uploaded to your Myphs portal.  Â
There’s no set price as every client is different and our service is bespoke to each customer. The best way to get a price is to get in touch for a quote.
