Dealing responsibly with COVID-19 PPE waste

The question of how to safely deal with and dispose of COVID-19-related clinical waste has become particularly acute following the rapid establishment of Clinical Decision Units, COVID-19 testing sites, and Nightingale hospitals. Up and down the country, plans have been rolled out to set up centres to treat and look after individuals affected by the pandemic. From the most senior management tiers of NHS England, to NHS Trusts, NHS Property Services, and CCGs, all are asking the same question: ‘How should clinical waste generated by coronavirus be disposed of safely?’

Paradoxically, the amount of clinical waste is actually decreasing. GPs are not seeing patients in any great volume, so the overall amount of clinical waste is falling. However, the quantity of PPE used in COVID-19 testing centres and hospitals is rising dramatically, with predictions of up to 15 million bags being used per month.

Traditionally – if not contaminated with bodily fluid or infectious substances – classified as offensive waste, PPE would typically be disposed of through the offensive waste stream, which is either landfilled, or sent to waste to energy facilities (WTE). However, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, all gloves, gowns, face protectors, and other forms of PPE, are now being treated as Cat B clinical waste. As such, all PPE waste, alongside waste related to possible or confirmed cases of COVID-19, needs to be placed in orange collection bags, which should be sealed with a swan neck and cable tie. Doing this correctly removes the need for double bagging, as the swan neck and cable tie method prevents air escaping from bags when they are moved or collected. Failure to do this correctly, or the practice of simply tying knots in orange bags, could lead to the potential spread of infection, as trapped air can be expelled from poorly sealed bags.