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May 18, 2022
It is common for beauty and aesthetic treatments to generate waste products which can be dangerous, polluting or can contain human matter. For example, treatments like semi-permanent make-up, Botox injections, acupuncture, microblading, dermarolling, derma fillers, waxing, laser hair removal and fat freezing all create waste which needs professional disposal. This type of waste needs to be stored and disposed of correctly as incorrect waste management can lead to serious problems, and you can be faced with a fine. We are here to explain how it can be done safely and effectively for you and your business.
Many beauty clinics will need to dispose of an assortment of blades, needles and sharps and these items must be discarded in the correct way. They pose a danger if handled incorrectly and need to be sealed for removal before anything else is done with them. It is also necessary that sharps are appropriately divided between non-hazardous and hazardous waste vessels before being collected.
Examples of sharps waste:
Sharps need to be correctly separated and disposed of, depending upon their usage. Each sharps bin has a different purpose and can help you easily determine which sharp should go in which bin (this is required by the Department of Health Guidance – HTM 07-01):
Orange Lid: The orange lid contains sharps that have not been contaminated with drugs of any kind. These items can be dealt with at an incinerator or sanitised at an appropriately sanctioned facility.
Purple Lid: The purple lid represents any sharp waste which has been used for cytotoxic or cytostatic drugs, for example Botox. This waste will need to be taken to an authorised incinerator.
Yellow Lid: The yellow lid indicates that it contains sharps that have been partially discharged and contaminated with non-cytotoxic and non-cytostatic medicines. This waste will also need to be taken to a sanctioned incinerator.
Cytostatic drugs prevent the growth of cells for example, Botox. Cytotoxic waste refers to any medicine that has a toxic influence on bodily cells, like chemotherapy treatment, which kills off cancer cells.
Other kinds of cytostatic drugs are:
Though these are essential for their specific treatments, the waste products are hazardous and need removing and managing very carefully to ensure safety.
These types of waste products need to be segregated from other medicinal waste and if this isn’t done correctly, the entire batch of waste will need to be considered, and dealt with, as hazardous waste, which can be more costly.
There are two different types of clinical waste:
Anyone creating waste in their beauty business must show that the discarded items are being handled correctly and they are accomplishing their ‘duty of care’ under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This means they “must take all reasonable steps to ensure that their waste is managed properly”.
Whether you run multiple salons or are an at home beauty therapist, we can supply you with a service schedule to suit your needs and customise it around your opening hours. None of the waste we take ever goes to landfill, it either gets recycled or incinerated and converted to energy.
WGS Waste Management work with clinics across Kent, Sussex, London and Surrey with all aspects of aesthetic waste disposal. If you need an expertly run waste management service, we can help you with a bespoke solution, catering to your business’s requirements. For more information, please contact us by phone on 01892 725609 or email help@wgswaste.co.uk.
Do you have a need for our services? Or perhaps a few questions ? Contact us and we'll be more than happy to assist you.
