Amalgam waste disposal: a practical guide for UK dental practices

Updated 6 November 2026 · By the Dental Waste Disposal team

Short answer: Dental amalgam waste is hazardous because of its mercury content and must be stored in sealed, labelled amalgam containers, usually white, then collected by a registered hazardous waste carrier with a consignment note. It includes waste amalgam, used capsules, amalgam separator contents and extracted teeth with amalgam fillings. Amalgam must never go in clinical waste bags, sharps bins or down the drain, and teeth with amalgam must not be incinerated.

Amalgam waste disposal: a practical guide for UK dental practices

What counts as amalgam waste

Excess mixed amalgam left after placing a filling
Used and part-used amalgam capsules
Contents of the amalgam separator and chairside traps
Extracted teeth containing amalgam fillings
Amalgam-contaminated cotton rolls and wipes, where your contractor accepts them in the amalgam stream

How to store it

Use the dedicated amalgam container supplied by your contractor, usually white with a mercury suppressant
Keep lids closed and containers in a cool, secure place away from patients
Label containers with the practice name and the date they were started
Never mix amalgam with other waste streams

Amalgam separators

Practices that place or remove amalgam must have a separator fitted. All separators in use must retain at least 95 percent of amalgam particles and must be maintained to keep that level. When the collection pot or cartridge is full, it is sealed and collected as amalgam waste.

Collection and paperwork

Amalgam is collected by a carrier registered for hazardous waste and sent for mercury recovery. Each collection needs a consignment note with the waste code 18 01 10*, which you should keep for at least three years in England and Wales.