We provide a domestic clinical waste collection service to households in the district who have infectious waste or use syringes.

Clinical waste must be collected and disposed of separately to your general waste. It must not be placed in your grey bin.

If you have been treated in your home by a medical professional, they must make arrangements for the waste produced to be collected.

We do not collect clinical or medical waste from businesses, charities or doctors’ surgeries.

Clinical waste collections will not be affected by the change to three weekly collections of grey bins (residual waste) and recycling in April 2026.

We collect the following:

• medical dressings contaminated with body fluid or blood (infectious only)
• syringes, needles and other sharp instruments
• other waste from a person who is suffering from an infectious disease
• blood or bodily fluids
• swabs or dressings (infectious only)
• stomach or peg feeding equipment
• incontinence pads/nappies (infectious only)

We do not collect:

Offensive waste items

• non-infectious incontinence pads/nappies
• non-infectious stoma/catheter bags
• non-infectious swabs or dressings
• feminine hygiene products
• gloves

Please note: These items should be double bagged and disposed of in your grey general waste bin. 

Recyclable or general waste items

• cardboard packaging
• plastic packaging
• paper information leaflets

Please note: These should be placed in your red or yellow lidded recycling bin or grey general waste bin as appropriate – unless it is contaminated or is packaging from cytotoxic/cytostatic drugs.

Other type of waste items

• human tissue
• unused drugs or medicines*
• radioactive waste
• medical instruments
• larvae (live) - used to treat certain medical conditions
• foetal tissue and placentas from home births
• body parts

* unused drugs or medicines can be return to the pharmacy for disposal

To register for our clinical waste collection service, the quickest method is to call either 01524 582416 or 01524 582415. You can also email your name and a telephone number for us to contact you to tradewaste@lancaster.gov.uk.