WASTE MANAGEMENT It Makes Good Scents
Henry Lee, Sales Director of Cromwell Polythene, shares advice on effective healthcare waste management during the summer months.
Strict infection control procedures are vital within care home settings and are essential to protecting human health during all infectious disease outbreaks. During the summer, as the warmer weather arrives, viruses typically reduce – but complacency must be avoided at all costs, particularly when it comes to handling healthcare waste.
The handling of healthcare waste must comply with Health Technical Memorandum 07-01: for its safe management and disposal. Our healthcare range includes refuse sacks, wheeled bin liners and tiger stripe sacks for deep landfill of offensive or hygiene waste. It also includes yellow sacks certified to UN standards for incineration of hazardous waste and orange UN standard sacks for alternative treatment of infectious and potentially infectious waste at a licensed or permitted facility.
Attention should also be given to the management of other waste streams, including glass, plastic, and food, to avoid contamination. The warmer weather provides a great opportunity for families of care residents to have outdoor visits with loved ones, but rising temperatures can have some adverse effects on waste. Heat exposure to the waste allows bacteria to grow faster and smells to intensify, travel longer, and also linger, producing profound odours from the bins. Although loose waste is oſten affected first – captured and contained rubbish will soon follow in emitting odours.
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS
Being proactive, through effective waste management, will help to prevent scent issues from occurring. Our top tips include:
• Scent Controlled bags – Sansafe are our award-winning scented and anti-microbial liners which are specifically manufactured to incorporate both Biomaster and Scentmaster technology. Biomaster silver antimicrobial technology is added during the film extrusion process to protect against harmful bacteria, and it is proven to reduce growth by up to 99.99%. Scentmaster pine tree fragrance helps mask unpleasant odours, both inside and outside the liners.
• Thicker bags – The thicker or stronger your refuse sack is, the harder it will be for pests and rodents to tear the material and break into it. Heavy duty bags ensure the safe capture and containment of waste in care home environments.
• Clean waste – Contaminated waste is oſten far more prone to producing smells and attracting pests. The easiest and most effective way of avoiding this is to prevent the contamination altogether. Simple steps like cleaning recyclables and ensuring they are free from the residue of food and liquids before you place them into the recycling will limit contamination levels.
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• Enclosing your waste – Keep waste bags sealed at all times and try to ensure they do not overflow. If overflow is unavoidable, compact your waste bags down so you are able to close the lid of the bin. This will contain potential smells and deter vermin.
With the warmer weather and reduced infection rates, it’s easy to become more complacent about protecting against germs and waste management processes. Steps need to be taken in the summer, as much as the winter, to help people stay well. By ensuring waste management is a key focus throughout the year, staff can ensure they are maintaining a high standard of care and hygiene, whilst also playing their part in a sustainable future.
www.cromwellpolythene.co.uk www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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