Hei Hei Health Centre Waste Management Policy
Policy Code:
Policy Date: 14/09/2019
Reviewed: 17/06/2025
Purpose:
Health centres, like many businesses, generate large amounts of waste. Some of our waste is contaminated and some is clean. All must be handled safely and with the minimum of environmental impact.
This policy provides guidelines to help minimise the production of waste and ensure that what is produced is handled correctly.
Responsible Staff:
Receptionist with responsibility for stocking
Waste management lead, either a lead receptionist or a practice nurse
Action:
All Staff
Audit:
There is no audit process for this policy.
Review Cycle:
Two years
Training:
Waste management is included in the induction process of new staff.
Policy:
The Four Rs are the core of this policy:
- Refuse
- Reduce
- Re-Use
- Recycle
Recycling:
Where possible, waste should be recycled.
The Council has rules which specify which waste products can be accepted for recycling. Whilst all plastics and paper can be recycled, most is not recyclable using current facilities. There is no point in 'aspirational recycling' - placing of non-recyclable waste in the yellow bin. This simply makes it harder to recycle waste and has a negative impact on the ability of the waste facility to operate efficiently. Guidelines as to what can be recycled may be found on the CCC website: https://www.ccc.govt.nz/services/rubbish-and-recycling/yellowbin/
In particular, soft plastics, dirty food containers and hand towels are not recyclable at present, nor are any products which have been used for medical purposes. This is to protect the recycling workers from potential harm.
There are re-cycling facilities for polystyrene at Mitre 10, and for printer cartridges, which can be sent to Xerox for processing, or at participating Warehouse Stationery.
Batteries can be collected and re-cycled in the specialist facilities now available in Woolworths and Mitre 10 stores.
Soft plastics can be recycled at Woolworths stores.
Couch roll paper can be placed in the green bin for composting unless it has been contaminated.
Re-Use:
As a business, we can choose to use re-usable products instead of single-use or disposable items where appropriate. Where single-use items are to be considered, the business should weigh the benefit offered against the environmental cost.
Reduce:
Where possible, the use of materiel should be reduced.
This is difficult to achieve in our context, but some choices can reduce waste production. Where possible, try not to generate waste, whilst at all times not placing staff or patients at risk.
Consider not printing documents, or printing only the necessary parts
Try to avoid products that are heavily packaged, and prefer products packaged in recyclable materiel.
Consider how much 'fresh' couch roll is needed - perhaps the patient's feet can rest where the previous patient laid their head.
Is a new item really needed, or will the old one still do the job nearly as well?
Refuse:
Do not accept products that will not be used. This is a small part of our work but it is still worth trying hard not to accept goods that are of low value in our work.
Leaflets that will most likely not be given to patients are a good example. Most end up thrown away. Consider printing appropriate resources rather than storing leaflets.
Don't order more stock than can be used before expiry.
Medical Waste:
Each clinical room has a clearly marked biohazard bin which should only be used for medical waste.
Although much medical waste can now be accepted for landfill, it is still safer to ensure it is disposed of by incineration by an approved waste disposal providor.
Returned medication, contaminated waste such as dressings, swabs and disposable examination equipment should be placed in the yellow bags or biohazard bins for disposal by incineration.
Only medical waste should be put in the biohazard bins. Do not put office waste of general waste that normally goes in a domestic red bin.
Sharps should be disposed of in the sharps bins. These should not be overfilled. These are to be disposed of by an approved waste disposal providor.
Clean couch roll can go in the green bin for composting, but contaminated sheets go in the hazardous waste stream.
Confidential Waste:
Patient records and letters, business information and correspondence must be disposed of in accordance with the Privacy Policy. This should NOT be recycled.
Recyclable Materiel:
There is a bin for Council accepted recyclables in the kitchen and at reception. Staff should ensure that all recyclables are clean and appropriate
There is no value in recycling bins in clinical rooms as very little recyclable waste is generated in clinical areas and this poses a risk of inadvertently attempting to recycle confidential papers.
Batteries should be collected at reception for recycling.
Xerox provide a box which can be used for printer cartridges (any brand) and polystyrene packaging. This is located in reception. These can also be dropped off at participating Warehouse Stationery stores.
Refuse:
Paper towels and general waste that is neither contaminated nor recyclable should be placed in the red bin for disposal. All areas have an appropriate bin for refuse.
Green Waste:
Green waste should be placed in the green bin.
There is a container for food waste in the kitchen.
Green waste is collected on Thursday mornings. Staff should ensure that the green waste collection receptacles are emptied into the green bin on Wednesday, before it is put out for collection.
Return of Excised Body Parts:
Some cultures practice returning a surgically removed body part to the earth or others wish to keep it as a souvenir. The Health and Disability Code, Section 9, gives the right of patients to request the body part back to them. This includes if a sample has been preserved and sent to a laboratory for diagnosis. The patient should be given the opportunity through the consent process prior to the surgery to indicate that they will request the specimen back once after excision or analysis at the laboratory.
Emergency Waste Management:
In the event of an emergency such as a severe earthquake or pandemic our ability to dispose of waste properly can be affected which require changes in waste management proceedure. In the event of an emergency we must promptly analysis the scenario and the impact on waste management. If roads are impassable for an extended period our waste disposal contractor might not be able to collect our biohazardous wastes and sharps for up to one month. In this case we are able to securely store both waste types in the back room. Care should be taken to carefully stack ziptied sealed bags in such a way that they do not fall and block the fire escape or tear. In the event of a pandemic we need to consider the vectors of spread. Many pathogens can survive on some surfaces for an extented time such as the influenza virus which can survive on hard surfaces like plastic or stainless steel counters for over 24 hours and strains of candida which can remain viable for days. During the Covid-19 pandemic isolation gowns, masks and gloves were used to protect staff from patients with either a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19. A 20 litre bucket only used for the purpose was used to hold a plastic waste bag open and ready for the used gowns and gloves between patients. The plastic bag was tied off and put in a biozard bag nearby to protect both our staff and waste disposal staff from unneccesary risk.
Change Log:
17/6/25-
Added role of waste management lead, training material, review cycle, Return of Excised Body Parts, Emergency Waste Management sections.
Updated current waste proceedures
Removed: "Sourcing replacement toys from second-hand stores reduces waste and gives old toys a new lease of life. Toys need to be easy to clean and safe." from Re-Use section as toys are not currently in use.