With strict regulations in place for healthcare waste, proper waste management is essential for dental businesses. For a long time, clinical settings and sustainable practices have not gone hand in hand – but a paradigm shift is beginning to take place! With the right strategies and an expert waste management partner at your side, your dental business can maintain exemplary levels of hygiene whilst minimising its impact on the environment. The future of sustainable dentistry is here.
Great Western Recycling provides waste management and recycling solutions to businesses in a range of sectors. We have over 35 years’ experience delivering excellence for our clients, and even advise on and support the implementation of zero waste to landfill strategies.
In this guide, we explain everything you need to know about waste management for dental businesses and how to get started with recycling.
Types of Dental Waste
Dental businesses produce a variety of waste types including large volumes of single-use plastic such as gloves and packaging. A large proportion of dental waste requires specialist handling because it is clinical, hazardous or confidential. As a result, working with an expert waste carrier who understands your business’ specific requirements is key.
Some of the main dental waste streams include:
- Clinical waste.
- Dental amalgam.
- Sanitary and washroom.
- Plastic, e.g., packaging from oral care products, plastic cups for rinsing.
- Old and broken instruments.
- Confidential waste, e.g., expired patient records.
- Paper waste, e.g., magazines, newspapers.
- Hazardous materials, e.g., dental radiographic waste.
What is Clinical Waste?
The term ‘clinical waste’ refers to any waste produced by healthcare businesses and organisations. It can include a range of materials that are hazardous or may pose a risk of infection, such as swabs, bandages, dressings and medicines. Clinical dental waste is often segmented into different types, including sharps, infectious, offensive, anatomical, medicinal, cytotoxic and dental amalgam – the material used to make fillings.
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Recycling Tips for Dentists & Dental Offices
Identify Recyclables
Many dental items can be recycled by specialist providers, including tools and toothbrushes. As well as this, many elements of oral care packaging can be easily processed, reducing your reliance on landfill and avoiding a hefty tax bill. Conduct a waste audit and analyse what recyclable materials you are currently throwing into general waste.
Keep it Clear
Once you know what materials you are working with, it’s time to implement your recycling strategy. Place bins at regular intervals throughout your practice and ensure segregation is easy for staff and patients alike. It might be a good idea to provide prominent labels or even colour code the bins to make things even clearer.
Educate Staff
No recycling initiative is going to be successful if your staff members aren’t engaged. Explain why the measures are necessary and how recycling will benefit the business and the environment. With staff involved and motivated, you’ll have a much greater chance of waste management success.
Offer Recycling Collection for Customers
Many oral care products like toothbrush heads cannot be placed in household recycling bins as they need specialist handling. Why not offer your customers a place to dispose of these items at your practice? This is a great way to differentiate your business from competitors, and means you are promoting recycling in your community. With people increasingly choosing companies to support based on ethics and eco-credentials, measures like these which demonstrate your care and responsibility as a business are likely to set you apart.
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Benefits of Recycling for Dentists
Reduced Impact
It goes without saying, but greater levels of recycling will help your business limit its impact on the environment. Sending less waste to landfill equals a lower carbon footprint, both in terms of landfill greenhouse gases and emissions during the production of new materials.
Staff Satisfaction
Doing good feels good – for you, and your staff members. Better sustainability throughout the practice means everyone is playing a part in driving lower impact, and working towards a common goal. The result? A united front and staff members who get that feel-good factor every day.
Competitive Advantage
The UK public is increasingly aware of the climate crisis, and more and more consumers are making purchasing decisions with sustainability in mind. For dental businesses, it is no different. Your newfound environmental credentials can be leveraged as a marketing tool, driving business growth.
Reduced Costs
By sending less waste to landfill, you will be charged less landfill tax. If you go zero waste to landfill, you could eradicate this cost altogether! No business wants to be paying unnecessary costs – and landfill tax can quickly add up. Recycle more waste materials and see the immediate benefits for your company bank balance.
Top Hygiene Standards
As a healthcare business, providing the best and safest patient experience is going to be top of your priority list. Waste management supports better hygiene throughout your premises, and sterilizing reusable items delivers the same safety as using disposable items, without the environmental impact.
Read more: Recycling Benefits for Businesses
How to Reduce Dental Waste
Of course, before instigating a recycling scheme, it’s a good idea to see if you can cut down on your waste in the first place. To get you started, here is a quick rundown of our top tips.
- Use reusable gloves and equipment that can be sterilized.
- Switch from plastic or paper to washable cloth lab coats.
- Choose cloth sterilisation bags over plastic.
- Ditch the disposable cups and offer ceramic or glass cups for rinsing.
- Use stainless steel instruments and accessories and disinfect them between appointments.
- Reuse things like packaging boxes.
- Store patient records online.
- Donate modelling tools to students or craft groups.
- Donate old dental equipment to charities or healthcare clinics across the world.
- Where disposable plastic is necessary, seek out biodegradable alternatives.
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Waste Management & Recycling for Dentists & Dental Businesses
Great Western Recycling is the ultimate answer to recycling for dentists and dental offices. Using industry expertise and specialist knowledge, we can help you implement better waste management and recycling strategies across your organisation.
Get in touch to find out more!
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