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Hazardous Waste FAQ’s

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Veterinary Waste

Hazardous Waste

Confidential & Electrical Waste

How do I classify waste?

The guidance document WM3 provides a means for the classification and assessment of wastes. The European Waste Catalogue (Appendix A of WM3) is a hierarchical list of waste descriptions used to classify and code wastes. All wastes are assigned a six-figure code based on the source and type of waste. This code will determine if the waste is hazardous or not.

Our Client Services Team can offer assistance with the coding of wastes. (You may be asked to supply a Material Safety Data Sheet or details of the composition of the waste.)

 

What are non-hazardous wastes?

The European Waste Catalogue classifies wastes.

The ‘typical’ veterinary practice will produce the following non-hazardous wastes:

  • Offensive waste
  • Glass and pharmaceutical waste
  • X-ray films
  • Confidential waste
What are hazardous wastes?

Hazardous wastes are regulated under the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005. They are wastes with one or more hazardous properties (HP1 to HP16) that make it explosive, oxidising, flammable, irritant, specific target organ, acute toxicity, carcinogenic, corrosive, infectious, toxic for reproduction, mutagenic, produces toxic gases, sensitising, Ecotoxic and persistant organic pollutants.

The ‘typical’ veterinary practice will produce the following hazardous wastes:

  • Infectious (clinical) waste
  • Sharps
  • Cytotoxic and cytostatic waste
  • Photographic fixer and developer
Do I need to register as a hazardous waste producer?

Under the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005, each practice location which produces hazardous waste is legally required to register annually with the Environment Agency, unless exempt. As your waste contractor, CPC can register on your behalf for a nominal fee, and for peace of mind will automatically renew your registration annually.

Is my premise exempt from registration?

Under Regulation 30, a Veterinary Practice may be exempt from the requirement to register if less than 500kg of Hazardous Waste is produced at that location in any twelve-month period. However, the majority of Veterinary Surgeries during a 12-month period will dispose of more than 500kg of Hazardous Waste.

Please note that exemption from registration does not exempt a producer from any other aspect of the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005.

What waste collection paperwork is required?

The following paperwork is legally required to accompany the transfer of waste:

  • Waste Transfer Note (WTN) must accompany any transfer of non-hazardous waste.
  • Consignment Note must accompany any transfer of hazardous waste. There are two types:
  1. Multiple Consignment Notes are used to collect hazardous waste from more than one location on a collection round. Routine hazardous veterinary waste will be collected using this method.
  2. Single Consignments Notes are used to make one-off collections or to collect unusual hazardous wastes that you may generate.
What terminology is used on waste collection paperwork?

The following terminology is often cited in documentation:

  • Producer: A person who produces waste. This is you, the Customer.
  • Carrier: A person who collects or carries waste. This is usually CPC.
  • Consignor: A person who causes waste to be removed from a site and signs the paperwork. This is usually the producer.
  • Consignee: A person who receives waste to recover or dispose of it. This is CPC.
What is my Consignment Note number?

As a producer of hazardous waste you are legally required to provide your waste contractor with a Consignment Note number for each collection of hazardous waste. This Consignment Note number consists of two parts:

Part 1: Is created by the first 6 characters of your veterinary practice name. Eg. THEVET.

Part 2: Your 5-digit unique reference number is the last 5 numbers of the job reference code created by the CPC collection software.

What is my SIC code?

The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code is used by the government to classify businesses according to their business activity and is required for the collection of hazardous waste. The majority of veterinary practices will have a SIC code of 75.00

Does it matter if there are greater quantities of waste to be collected than have I written on the waste collection paperwork?

As the waste producer, under Duty of Care, it is your legal responsibility to ensure the waste collection paperwork that accompanies the waste is accurate and complete.

However, if at the time of collection the driver has, say for example, more clinical waste bags to collect than stated on the paperwork he/she will amend the paperwork to reflect the actual quantities collected.