Sanitary waste is an umbrella term for liquid or solid waste originating solely from humans and human activities. This includes feminine hygiene products, which are used to absorb menstrual flow. It is classed as ‘offensive’ waste by the Department of Health.
Does a business have to provide units?
Having a Sanitary waste facility in place is part of your “Duty of Care” to your female employees, visitors, patients etc. Providing a means of disposing of sanitary waste is a basic requirement under the ‘Duty of Care’ Act 1990 section 34. Sanitary bins should be placed in readily available places: namely in gender neutral, accessible, and female toilets so that they can be easily found by those people who need them. The ‘Duty of Care’ Act 1990 section 34 is underpinned by the Water Industries Act 1991, which states that” Sanitary Waste should not be flushed down toilets where they could cause a blockage within the sewer or drain”. It should also be noted there is no such thing as a soluble sanitary towel or tampon. Flushing them away can and does result in blocked drains resulting in added costly repairs. Sanitary waste can cause harm to sewers and drains and should not be flushed: it can have serious impacts on the environment as they will eventually pollute water systems and beaches. Hygiene bins are a human right. They’re something that all deserve in the workplace, which is especially important for staying compliant and remaining a progressive and inclusive business in the modern world.
How often do we have to have the units serviced?
Depending on the type of business we offer a variation of service frequencies. Standard is 6 weekly, we also provide four weekly, 2 weekly, weekly and twice weekly. For hygiene reasons we provide a liner replacement service. This means we remove the used liner, sanitise/clean the unit and replace the liner all within the cubicle, we find this more discreet than walking through your business carrying used units. Less movement means less transport contamination and a more hygienic unit.
What is a waste transfer note?
As a producer of waste you have a legal requirement to ensure waste is disposed of compliantly and without harming the environment. Sanitary waste should be disposed of by a licenced carrier. The waste transfer note (WTN) is a legal document for non hazardous waste that details the transfer of waste from your property with B Hygienic, it provides an audit trail and shows both parties are conforming to legislation. You may hear them called duty of care notes, non haz notes. We provide the WTN for 12 months, you are required to retain copies for 2 years. You can find more information from the Environment Agency here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice
Where do B Hygienic collect waste from?
We operate Nationwide, we have a waste transfer station in Stoke on Trent. We collect waste from any commercial organisation or business through the UK. We have drivers based in Staffordshire Moorlands, Crewe, Stafford, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Wolverhampton.
