Dental Waste Disposal Across the UK

Yes. Amalgam waste from dental care is classed as hazardous waste under the List of Wastes code 18 01 10* because of its mercury content. It includes waste amalgam, used capsules, separator contents and extracted teeth with amalgam fillings. It must be kept in a dedicated sealed container, usually white, and collected by a carrier registered to handle hazardous waste, with a consignment note for every collection.

Yes. Any practice that places or removes amalgam must have an amalgam separator fitted to its waste water system. Under the mercury regulations retained in UK law, all separators in use must retain at least 95 percent of amalgam particles, and they must be maintained so that retention level is kept up. The full separator pot or cartridge is collected as amalgam waste.

Cartridges with any medicine left in them are medicinally contaminated sharps, so they go in a yellow-lidded sharps container for incineration. Empty sharps with no medicinal contamination, such as needles used without medicines, can go in an orange-lidded container. Most practices simply use yellow-lidded containers at the chair to avoid mistakes.

Extracted teeth without amalgam are infectious waste and go in the infectious waste stream for incineration or approved treatment. Teeth containing amalgam fillings must not be incinerated because of the mercury, so they go in the amalgam container instead. Teeth can be returned to the patient on request.

For non-hazardous waste, such as offensive tiger-bag waste, a waste transfer note is needed and must be kept for at least two years. For hazardous waste, such as amalgam, X-ray chemicals and many clinical streams, a hazardous waste consignment note is needed for each collection in England and Wales and kept for at least three years. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own equivalent special and hazardous waste rules. Inspectors can ask to see these records.

Used fixer and developer are hazardous waste and must not be poured down the drain. They should be stored in separate, labelled, sealed containers and collected by a hazardous waste carrier. Fixer contains silver, which is usually recovered. If you have switched to digital imaging, any leftover chemicals and old processors can be collected in one visit.

Not usually. Non-infectious items such as gloves, aprons, masks and bibs from patient care are normally classed as offensive waste and go in yellow-and-black tiger bags. Anything contaminated with blood or saliva from a known or suspected infection goes in the infectious stream. Proper segregation keeps you compliant and avoids paying infectious waste rates for low-risk items.

It depends on how much you produce. Many single and two-surgery practices have clinical and sharps collections every two to four weeks, with amalgam and X-ray chemical collections less often, sometimes quarterly. Busier practices may need weekly collections. Waste should not be stored on site for longer than is safe and practical, and storage areas should be secure.