As part of its new waste contract with Veolia, Croydon Council is making it easier for residents to dispose of non-hazardous clinical hygiene waste.

From Tuesday 1 April 2025, households with clinical and hygiene waste, such as stoma/colostomy bags, sanitary towels, nappies, and incontinence pads, will no longer have to use yellow sacks for collection. Instead, this waste can be put in a regular black bin bag and into general waste bins for collection. This means that residents will not have to leave yellow waste sacks outside their property.

Residents with a disability or health condition that generates a lot of non-hazardous hygiene waste may be eligible for a larger bin and the Council is contacting them directly.

Some clinical waste is classed as infectious or hazardous waste which residents may have due to ongoing administered healthcare treatment or post-operative care. This waste must be disposed of safely and collected separately from your household rubbish. Collection and removal of this kind of clinical waste should be arranged through healthcare providers and residents are encouraged to contact their GP for more information.

If residents need a sharps collection service, this can be arranged through healthcare providers or pharmacy who can provide a sharps container. For further assistance with a sharp collection, please visit the Council’s website www.croydon.gov.uk.

“We are making it easier for residents to dispose of their non-hazardous clinical hygiene waste.

“Non-hazardous waste does not require a special collection, so instead of asking residents to display this waste in yellow bags outside their properties, they can now put it in a regular black sack and in their general waste bins for collection.

“We appreciate it is a change, but this is an enhancement of the current service and not a cut to service. It is about doing things differently for the better.

“We are contacting residents who use this service to tell them about the change and are encouraging them to get in touch if they feel they need a bigger bin.”

Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon