EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management Waste Disposal Policy (Batteries)

I'm looking at implementing a battery disposal policy (and local procedures) into the trusts waste disposal policy.

With light to recent and due legislative changes in the disposal of hazardous materials, has anyone got some reasonable trust wide policies to share?

Yes I know this one has been banded around a little, discussing various companies which will support the disposal of these items, but we require some Trust wide guidance (in the form of policies / procedures) on the issue.

Any help (or documents) accepted with pleasure

Joe

Joe
I have sent you an e-mail with the policy we have in Portsmouth.

And what say the rest of the nation?

I hope your not giving them to that man with the irish accent for a few dollars?

No trust policy as such,but ours go via a local licenced company.

We have a central collection point and an outside company comes in and takes them away. We get a certificate to confirm collection and compliance with the hazardous waste regulations - but what they actually do with them is anybodies guess !

What I find bizarre is that I can drive down the road to the RS Trade Counter and collect new batteries but I can't take the old batteries to the local council tip where there is a cage to collect them in (although it's really for car batteries) - because I'm not allowed to transport hazardous waste in my car !

Welcome to our Brave New World, Roy!

RS, Euroenergy etc can post you batteries that are fully charged or have the potential to be charged, but when the electrons rearrange themselves to provide power they change themselves in to waste and so have to be handled carefully.
It is all the electrons fault for moving around - stop blaming the eurocrats!
Can anyone explain what would happen if I threw a fully charged battery in a bin, is it waste or not?

A friend went in to B&Q to purchase some Evostick, as it has a high solvent content it was kept in a special container, the person at the checkout had to put on a mask and gloves to handle it, as she was at work covered by regulations, she then handed the tin to my friend, who being a member of the public needed no such protection.

Don’t you feel safe with all this protection around you?

Robert