Dental Waste Disposal
We provide the specialist waste solutions that ensure your dental practice waste is handled compliantly and efficiently to help protect your business, community and patients. Discover our dental waste disposal services.
Professional dental waste solutions across the UK
Stericycle enables Dental practices to maintain regulatory compliance by providing regulated medical waste management and compliance solutions that protect people and brands, promote health and well-being, and safeguard the environment.
At Stericycle, we appreciate the important role you play in the overall health and well-being of your patients, and also understand the effort it takes to handle the different regulated waste streams, while running an environment where your employees and facility are up-to-date with regulatory requirements.
We customise our dental waste solutions for your needs, whether you are a local independent Dental practice or part of a larger network of providers.
Amalgam waste disposal
Our amalgam waste disposal services help dental practices safely dispose of amalgam, a type of dental filling material that contains mercury. It is well known that amalgam waste is a threat to humans and the environment, as mercury is a toxic substance.
Stericycle’s amalgam waste disposal solutions consist of collection, transportation and disposal of amalgam waste in safe conditions, in accordance with regulations and guidelines. With our help, dental practices can meet their legal obligations and ensure that amalgam waste is disposed of in a responsible and environmentally friendly manner.
How we help
There are strict compliance requirements around hazardous and non-hazardous healthcare waste. It must be correctly segregated, appropriately labelled and packaged for transport, stored safely in a secure place and described accurately on all documentation. But we know that you didn’t choose a career in medicine to focus on the complexities of waste management - that’s our passion!
Why Stericycle?
When you choose Stericycle, you are selecting a partner with the resources to work with and stand by you when things are easy and when they are hard so you can focus on what matters most – the health and well-being of the patients in your care and the safety of your employees.
Contact us for a Free Quote today!
Recommended Waste Disposal Solutions for Dental surgeries
Our solutions offer a variety of safe, secure, and compliant container options for the following types of waste generated in your facility.
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Sharps Waste
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Infectious Waste Disposal
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Offensive Waste
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Chemical Waste
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Pharmaceutical Waste
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Dental Waste Disposal
Example sharps include:
- hypodermic needles, syringes and syringe barrels
- used medicine vials
- scalpels, razors and razor blades
- phials, pipettes, test tubes, broken glass
Infectious Waste Disposal
Example infectious wastes include:
- contaminated dressings
- disposable gowns and gloves
- other contaminated PPE
- contaminated bed roll
Offensive Waste
Example offensive waste includes:
- disposable masks, aprons, gloves and overshoes
- swabs and absorbent pads
- bed roll
Chemical Waste
Example offensive waste includes:
- disposable masks, aprons, gloves and overshoes
- swabs and absorbent pads
- bed roll
Pharmaceutical waste
Example wastes include:
- Example pharmaceutical wastes include:
- anaesthesia
- analgesics
- anti-inflammatory drugs
- returned and out-of-date medicines
Dental waste
Example wastes include:
- amalgam
- resin composite
- x-ray fixer and developer
- lead foils, shields, and aprons
- gypsum
Sharps waste
Example sharps include:
- hypodermic needles, syringes and syringe barrels
- used medicine vials
- scalpels, razors and razor blades
- phials, pipettes, test tubes, broken glass
Infectious Waste Disposal
Example infectious wastes include:
- contaminated dressings
- disposable gowns and gloves
- other contaminated PPE
- contaminated bed roll
Offensive Waste
Example offensive waste includes:
- disposable masks, aprons, gloves and overshoes
- swabs and absorbent pads
- bed roll
Chemical Waste
Example offensive waste includes:
- disposable masks, aprons, gloves and overshoes
- swabs and absorbent pads
- bed roll
Pharmaceutical waste
Example wastes include:
- Example pharmaceutical wastes include:
- anaesthesia
- analgesics
- anti-inflammatory drugs
- returned and out-of-date medicines
Dental waste
Example wastes include:
- amalgam
- resin composite
- x-ray fixer and developer
- lead foils, shields, and aprons
- gypsum
Looking for something else? Learn more about some of our other solutions for dental practices
Why we're the perfect partner for you
You segregate
Segregate and store each type of specialist waste separately from your general waste.
We collect
Either on an agreed regular schedule or you can contact us for additional or ad-hoc collections.
We treat & dispose
All your waste is compliantly and securely processed, giving you peace of mind.
Put your trust in a leading UK specialist waste partner
All of our waste containers are UN approved and we have our own fleet of vehicles and dedicated waste disposal facilities - this means that we can offer you compliant, fully trackable and auditable end-to-end specialist waste solutions that will help you protect your business, your employees and your clients.
Support & Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Dental amalgam waste is a type of hazardous waste which contains up to 50% mercury and mercury compounds, these are extremely toxic and pose a threat to both humans and the environment.
Amalgam waste works on the basis of Cumulative Effect – i.e. the greater the exposure, the greater the effect. The only safe waste disposal options are collection and disposal by a compliant dental waste service provider. Stericycle’s amalgam waste disposal solutions consist of the collection, transportation and disposal of amalgam waste, in accordance with UK regulations and guidelines.
With Stericycle’s help, dental practices are able to meet their legal obligations and ensure that any amalgam waste is disposed of compliantly giving you time to focus on patient care.
Amalgam waste disposal must be arranged through a specialist waste provider. This type of waste must be collected in an amalgam waste container placed within your surgery. Your provider will then arrange a collection schedule with you based on the volume of waste you produce. Once your waste is collected your waste provider will compliantly dispose of the amalgam.
As amalgam waste is made from a mixture of metals including mercury, which in a liquid form can be extremely harmful if absorbed through the skin, this makes this type of waste hazardous. Dental waste disposal is something which much be arranged by every dental practice to ensure their amalgam is disposed of compliantly without causing harm to people or the environment.
Dental gypsum waste has a high sulphate content. Combining high sulphate content waste with biodegradable waste produces highly toxic and odorous hydrogen sulphide gas. Due to this, dental gypsum waste is banned from normal landfill and must be disposed of in a way suitable for high sulphide waste.
You must arrange for a dental waste disposal expert, such as Stericycle, to collect and dispose of your dental gypsum waste compliantly giving you complete peace of mind.
Dental amalgam waste is classified as hazardous waste and not healthcare waste, this includes any form of amalgam or any materials which have been contaminated with amalgam. Dental waste which contains amalgam must be collected as hazardous waste and not healthcare waste, it is then taken to a licensed waste management facility where it is treated compliantly.
Special waste is the different types of hazardous waste that are specific to the dental sector which, if not disposed of through compliant dental waste management, could cause harm to people and the environment.
Examples of dental specific waste include:
HTM 07-01 is in place to give guidance to producers of healthcare waste on how to manage their waste in a safe, compliant and environmentally responsible way.
All dental waste must be managed by a compliant provider who will ensure you waste will be dealt with in the correct manner.