Brilliant Bins The Sanitary Bin Guide for Dental Practices

Sanitary Bins - a low cost solution can be achieved for implementation of HTM 01-05 Decontamination in primary care dental practices Waste regulations relating to dental practices are complicated, and this guide deals specifically with informing dental practitioners of their options for disposal of feminine hygiene waste from the ladies toilets. There is a lot of confusion about the controls and regulations that apply to sanitary bins. This guide contains the answers to the questions that we get asked. Some of the information may surprise you, but we know the regulations concerning disposal of sanitary waste inside out, and this is up to date, factual advice. For example, most web information would like you to believe that sanitary waste is clinical waste, but this is rarely the case. Following the information specific to Dental Practices the guide includes our general information applicable to all business types. If you would like further information or a no-obligation discussion about your own disposal arrangements, please do contact me.

Susan Hofgartner talks about the issues raised by HTM 01-05 for the disposal of feminine hygiene waste from sanitary bins at dental practices. Susan is the inventor of the Brilliant Bin system of completely disposable feminine hygiene waste bins. Launched in late 2009 the bin offers a low cost and environmentally friendly solution, in full compliance with legislation. Dental practitioners in the UK are currently tackling implementation of the detailed requirements of HTM 01-05 and finding that correct waste segregation and disposal is a key element in raising standards of infection control. One waste related question, which was recently raised in an online dental forum, attracted many comments. It concerned the disposal of feminine hygiene waste from the ladies toilets at dental practices. Given the incredibly detailed requirements surrounding handling of body fluid contaminated items and routines for sterilization elsewhere in the practice, many dental practitioners were very surprised to hear that the content of feminine hygiene waste bins is neither clinical nor hazardous waste. HTM 01-05 deals with waste disposal in its Appendix 1, but starts the section by advising dental practitioners to read HTM 07-01 Safe Management of Healthcare Waste, a publication that deals with, not only waste from healthcare sources, but also from commercial premises such as shops, offices and factories. It is in HTM 07-01 that the full requirements for control of feminine hygiene waste disposal are made clear, and the updated Version 2 has the same wording.

Brilliant Bins is a trading name of Seiquelle Innovation Ltd, 103 High Street, Hungerford, Berkshire RG16 0NB www.BrilliantBins.co.uk sales@BrilliantBins.co.uk Tel: 01488 684850 Seiquelle Innovation Ltd 2012

Dental Practices have commercial and clinical activities..

The first thing to understand is that there are generally two waste streams arising at a dental practice, that from the clinical activities and that from commercial activities. Waste from the office activities and staff toilets is part of the commercial activity at the practice. This is important because the EWC waste classification codes allows much simpler handling of waste from the commercial activities of the practice. Commercial waste from a dental practice is General Municipal Waste, whereas waste from the clinical activities is dealt with under Healthcare Waste controls. The second surprise is that feminine hygiene waste may be disposed of in general commercial waste, up to certain limits, perfectly legally. The guidance for this comes directly from HTM 0701 which states that up to 7kg of offensive/hygiene waste can be included in any one collection cycle of general commercial waste, coded 20-03-01 and put into black bag waste. The Environment Agency, which was a contributor to HTM 07-01, has confirmed this. So what options are available to dental practitioners: No Bin? Not an option under HSE guidance and Workplace regulations. A simple pedal bin. Fulfills the regulations, cheap, but unlikely to be popular with your staff, customers or cleaners, and is unlikely to contribute to a good impression of your practice! A contract exchange bin. Until the Brilliant Bin system was available this was really the only option, costing from around 120 to 250 per year per cubicle. Service operatives visit your location and swap the bins out, or empty and clean them on site. This option may involve additional costs for production of an annual Duty of Care Waste Transfer Note and Pre-treatment certification. Will involve at least an annual contract, and can be time-consuming to avoid roll-over into multi-year contracts. Large premises may find this option more economical than disposable bins, although environmental considerations may also come into the decision. Disposable sanitary bins from Brilliant Bins. These are low cost, environmentally friendly bins that can be disposed of in commercial waste. Designed for use in business and healthcare premises, and costing around 50 per cubicle per year. This waste will be included on the commercial waste collection duty of care waste transfer note so no additional costs. No contract negotiations. Buy flat-packed online. Your cleaning staff will appreciate the fact that they do not have to see the contents of the bins, as the whole bin is disposed of, when full, in a supplied black bin bag. If you would like to discuss these options in more detail, do please contact me. I can also, with no obligation, review your current contract, and comment on the costs, terms and conditions and cancellation arrangements. Susan Hofgartner BSc (Hons) ARCS ACMA Web: www.BrilliantBins.co.uk LinkedIn: Susan Hofgartner

Brilliant Bins is a trading name of Seiquelle Innovation Ltd, 103 High Street, Hungerford, Berkshire RG16 0NB www.BrilliantBins.co.uk sales@BrilliantBins.co.uk Tel: 01488 684850 Seiquelle Innovation Ltd 2012

Frequently asked questions for all businesses including Dental Practices

Is it a legal requirement to have a sanitary waste bin? Is feminine hygiene waste classed as clinical or hazardous waste? Is there a limit on how much sanitary waste can go in my main waste collection bin? Ive been told that sanitary waste is controlled waste what does that mean in practise? Dentist's, Doctor's & Healthcare what regulations apply to feminine hygiene waste? Schools what regulations cover feminine hygiene waste in schools? Is Brilliant Bins registered with the Environment Agency? How can I check the registration of my waste collector? How environmentally friendly is a disposable bin? Im concerned about odour. Why dont you have chemical fragrance powder in the bin? What is Cellogreen Ec-print laminate? Id like to provide bags for items to go into before going in the bin. Do you sell these? Do you provide guidance on Duty of Care - Waste Transfer Notes?

Is it a legal requirement to have a sanitary waste bin?

The applicable law is the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 paragraphs 20 and 21. The Regulations do not specifically mention bins for sanitary waste, but do have an overriding condition that sanitary conveniences (ie washroom facilities) should be suitable and sufficient. The Health and Safety Executive, however, in the Approved Code of Practice related to the above Regulations, issue their interpretation of suitable and sufficient which includes: In the case of water closets used by women, suitable means should be provided for the disposal of sanitary dressings. In practise this could be a covered pedal bin, although this would mean revealing the contents to users and cleaners. Our bin is aimed at providing a better option than the pedal bin, without having the costs and inconvenience of service collection contracts.

Is Feminine Hygiene Waste clinical or hazardous waste?

The Environment Agencys guidance is that the vast majority of municipal hygiene waste is non-hazardous and non-clinical waste. The example provided by the Environment Agency of a case where the waste could be classified as clinical is not referring to feminine hygiene waste. Staff and employees at work are not likely to be unwell to the degree that feminine hygiene waste is re-classified. The detail, for all kinds of commercial municipal hygiene waste from non-healthcare sources, including feminine hygiene waste: The following guidance is an extract from the Department of Health document: Safe Management of Healthcare Waste, Edition 2, March 2011, (the update on HTM 07-01)

Brilliant Bins is a trading name of Seiquelle Innovation Ltd, 103 High Street, Hungerford, Berkshire RG16 0NB www.BrilliantBins.co.uk sales@BrilliantBins.co.uk Tel: 01488 684850 Seiquelle Innovation Ltd 2012

Municipal premises other than domestic: This section considers potentially offensive/hygiene waste from non-healthcare activities and premises(for example offices, shops, schools, childcare facilities, animal boarding kennels, dog faeces collection bins, body piercing facilities). These wastes can normally be assumed under this step of the assessment to present no risk of infection unless an indication to the contrary is provided by a healthcare professional. However, those who have a duty of care for such waste should undertake appropriate assessment and segregation where any risk factors indicate that an element of the waste may be infectious. Where there is a risk of infection, the waste is clinical waste and possesses the hazardous property H9: Infectious".The EWC code 20 01 99 should be assigned and the waste disposed of in orange receptacles. (Note added by us: this would only be for a situation such as an outbreak of diarrhoea at a daycare nursery leading to the production of potentially infectious nappies) Waste contaminated with non-infectious bodily fluids is capable of causing offence and therefore requires appropriate packaging to alert those in the waste management chain of the contents. It is recommended that such types of waste be classified as offensive/hygiene waste. This waste should be segregated where it is generated in quantity one bag (7 kg or more) in any collection interval. Only quantities less than 7 kg may be placed in the black-bag waste stream.

Dentist's and Doctor's Surgeries and other Healthcare Premises. Can these premises use the Brilliant Bin system?
Environment Agency advice is that feminine hygiene waste from toilets in surgeries is not healthcare waste. Therefore feminine hygiene waste can be included in the mixed municipal commercial wastes being collected from the surgery. The advice is therefore exactly as for a commercial premises, and subject to the same quantity limits.

So I can put up to 7kg of sanitary waste in one collection?

As noted above, the limit set by the Department of Health means that up to 7kg in any one collection cycle may go in the black bag waste. One full Brilliant Bin is likely to weigh approx. 1.0 kg and so our customers are unlikely to come near the limit. Remember you only need change the bins when full and therefore you will not be replacing all bins at the same time as with a service contract provider.

How easy is it for the cleaning staff to exchange the bins?

Very easy, very quick, no fuss, and nothing unpleasant to deal with. Each Brilliant Bin has a plastic sleeve, on the reverse, containing a black bin bag. It is easy for the cleaning staff to check whether the bin needs changing by just picking it up theres no need to look inside. When its time to change the bin, the whole bin is placed in the black bin bag and then, securely double wrapped, it is disposed of within the school general waste.

Brilliant Bins is a trading name of Seiquelle Innovation Ltd, 103 High Street, Hungerford, Berkshire RG16 0NB www.BrilliantBins.co.uk sales@BrilliantBins.co.uk Tel: 01488 684850 Seiquelle Innovation Ltd 2012

What regulations cover feminine hygiene waste in schools?

Schools are deemed to be Municipal premises other than domestic and so the advice is exactly as for business premises, but please request our specific Sanitary Bin Guide for Schools.

I have been told our sanitary waste is controlled waste and must be collected by a specialist service what does this mean in practice?
Nearly all waste comes under the controlled waste regulations which cover household, municipal, commercial and industrial waste, and so sanitary waste is controlled waste. Controlled waste may only be transferred to a waste carrier registered with the Environment Agency, and the waste management company collecting your commercial waste will be registered as a waste carrier in exactly the same way as a service contract collector. This means that it is perfectly acceptable for your main waste to have a proportion of hygiene waste included.

Is Brilliant Bins registered with the Environment Agency?

Brilliant Bins is registered with the Environment Agency as both a Waste Carrier and Waste Broker under our company name Seiquelle Innovation Ltd ref CB/HN5010CZ.

How can I check the registration of my waste collector?

You can easily check that your waste collector is registered at the Environment Agency http://www2.environment-agency.gov.uk/epr/search.asp

How environmentally friendly is a disposable bin?

Using the Brilliant Bin system reduces the vehicle mileage required to dispose of the waste and eliminates the need for water and chemicals to wash out exchange units. Please request our guide the Environmental and Operational Case for Disposable Bins. The Brilliant Bin is inexpensive and so affordable by every business. It therefore helps to ensure that sanitary waste is not flushed down the loo. It is estimated that 2 billion sanitary items are flushed down the loo each year. More on this from the "Bag it and Bin it Don't Flush it" campaign. The Brilliant Bin enables you to buy 6 months or a years supply of bins and store them compactly in your cleaners cupboard. One delivery replaces multiple trips to your site to deliver exchange units reducing vehicle mileage. Sanitary waste in the Brilliant Bin is collected along with your other commercial waste and so no additional vehicle miles are required. The Brilliant Bin is printed and constructed in the UK, so no shipping from the Far East is involved. FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) http://www.fsc.org/about-fsc.htmlcertified box board is the principal material making up the bin. The original pulp is bleached using an elemental chlorine free process, and the board produced at an EMAS accredited mill. It can be disposed of by incineration for energy recovery or is bio-degradeable. Not suitable for recycling due to the content of the bin
Brilliant Bins is a trading name of Seiquelle Innovation Ltd, 103 High Street, Hungerford, Berkshire RG16 0NB www.BrilliantBins.co.uk sales@BrilliantBins.co.uk Tel: 01488 684850 Seiquelle Innovation Ltd 2012

The glossy laminates major raw material, Cellulose, comes predominantly from managed forestry in North America. The pulp suppliers have active replanting programmes and plant more trees than they harvest each year. Thus this film is distinguished from most other thermoplastic films in that it comes from a sustainable source and is not derived from fossil fuels. The secondary raw material is acetic anhydride, a simple derivative of the everyday tabletop chemical acetic acid (vinegar).

Im concerned about odour. Why is there no chemical fragrance in the Brilliant Bin?
The Brilliant Bin is designed to minimise environmental impact, therefore we do not use chemical powders and fragrance inside the bin. Our research shows that the addition of scented chemicals inside a bin does not make a significant difference to odour outside the bin whether on an exchange bin or for the Brilliant Bin. Occasionally there is an issue which would only be dealt with by changing the bin. You can change a Brilliant Bin immediately, with an exchange bin you may need to wait weeks for the next exchange date. The best way to avoid odour is to have a well ventilated and cleaned cubicle. However, where the location has ventilation challenges, use of an air freshener may be required. You can also provide small disposal bags for sanitary items to be put in before placing the item in the Brilliant Bin. These are available, along with an optional dispenser, on our product page.

Id like to provide small bags for items to go into before going in the bin. Do you sell these?
Yes, we supply white kraft paper bags, printed in English, French and German and also a clear Perspex holder if needed. See our website product pages.

What is Cellogreen eco-print laminate?

The glossy laminate inside and outside the Brilliant Bin is not made from fossil fuel based plastics. The primary raw material used in the production of the cellulose acetate laminate is sourced from refined wood pulp from Sustainable Forest Initiative managed forestry.

Do you provide guidance on Duty of Care - Waste Transfer Notes?

With the Brilliant Bin system, you do not need a specific waste transfer note for your sanitary bins. The completion of a waste transfer note is usually completed annually with your waste management company. You should let your waste management company know that you have a small amount of hygiene waste in your collection. Please request our Waste Transfer Note Information Sheet. It included suggested descriptions, waste code and details to add to your existing waste transfer note content. Should your waste collection company have any questions, we will be very happy to assist. We have positive agreement from major waste collection companies for our system.
Brilliant Bins is a trading name of Seiquelle Innovation Ltd, 103 High Street, Hungerford, Berkshire RG16 0NB www.BrilliantBins.co.uk sales@BrilliantBins.co.uk Tel: 01488 684850 Seiquelle Innovation Ltd 2012

We hope this has assisted you to understand that you can handle your own disposal of hygiene waste as well as use service contract exchange-bin providers. Please do call us if you would like to discuss any of this information further. Susan Hofgartner Web: www.BrilliantBins.co.uk LinkedIn: Susan Hofgartner

Brilliant Bins is a trading name of Seiquelle Innovation Ltd, 103 High Street, Hungerford, Berkshire RG16 0NB www.BrilliantBins.co.uk sales@BrilliantBins.co.uk Tel: 01488 684850 Seiquelle Innovation Ltd 2012