EPR 5.07: Clinical waste

In an unprecedented turnaround, the Environment Agency today withdrew its latest guidance document on clinical waste treament facilities - EPR 5.07 (S5.07), following a formal complaint and intense lobbying from the SMDSA (Sanitary Medical Disposal Services Association).

Steady persistence in discussions with senior managers at the Environment Agency has finally paid off with the SMDSA recently securing a number of important concessions and derogations that will ease the burden on its member companies and the wider industry.

Potentially high direct costs in some areas have been largely avoided which, together with the accompanying administrative costs could have seen an unjustifiable rise in the price paid by customers for some services. 

With the provision of more and more healthcare in the community setting, either in patient’s own homes or at clinics and health centres, the amount of clinical waste arising in this sector is likely to increase.  In addition there are numerous other producers located in the community environment, rather than the typical hospital setting including; GPs, dentists, vets, laboratories, funeral directors, tattooists, school nurses, nursing and care homes.   

With the ink still not dry on the new ‘Safe Management of Healthcare wastes’ and the Environment Agency introducing new (not consulted) sections and concepts and re-writing existing sections of the document, the Agency have also been busy introducing more new hurdles for Producers and Disposers of clinical waste through further guidance documents.