# Dental Waste Disposal

> Dental waste disposal across the UK: amalgam, sharps, infectious and offensive waste, X-ray chemicals and old stock, collected with the right paperwork every time.

Dental Waste Disposal provides dental waste disposal for dental practices, orthodontists, dental hygienists, dental laboratories and NHS and private clinics across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (250 towns and cities). Customers request a free fixed-price quote using the online form on any page.

## Key facts
- Service: Dental waste disposal
- Coverage: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Typical cost: A managed waste service for a small dental practice usually costs £30 to £90 a month. Amalgam collections are usually £20 to £50 per container. A one-off practice clear-out usually costs £150 to £500 depending on what is removed.
- How to get a quote: online form, replies usually the same day

## Guides
- [How much does dental waste disposal cost in the UK? (2026 guide)](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/guides/dental-waste-disposal-cost-uk/): In 2026, a managed dental waste service for a small UK practice usually costs £30 to £90 a month, covering containers, scheduled collections and consignment notes. Amalgam collections are usually £20 to £50 per container, and a one-off practice clear-out usually costs £150 to £500. Larger multi-surgery practices pay more because of higher volumes and more frequent collections.
- [Dental waste regulations in the UK: what practices need to know](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/guides/dental-waste-regulations-uk/): UK dental practices must follow the waste Duty of Care, segregate waste using the HTM 07-01 colour-coding system, and use a registered carrier for every collection. Hazardous streams such as amalgam (code 18 01 10*) and X-ray fixer and developer need a consignment note for each collection, kept for at least three years in England and Wales. Practices that use amalgam must also have an amalgam separator that retains at least 95 percent of amalgam particles.
- [Amalgam waste disposal: a practical guide for UK dental practices](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/guides/amalgam-waste-disposal-guide/): 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.
- [Dental waste colour coding: which bin does it go in?](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/guides/dental-waste-colour-coding-guide/): UK dental waste follows the HTM 07-01 colour codes: white for amalgam, yellow for waste needing incineration including part-used anaesthetic cartridges, orange for infectious waste suitable for alternative treatment, yellow and black tiger for offensive waste such as gloves and bibs, blue for non-cytotoxic medicines, purple for cytotoxic medicines and black or clear for general waste. Lead foil, gypsum and X-ray chemicals each need their own separate container.
- [Waste transfer notes and hazardous waste consignment notes for dental practices](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/guides/hazardous-waste-consignment-notes-dental/): Dental practices need a waste transfer note for non-hazardous waste such as offensive tiger-bag waste, kept for at least two years, and a hazardous waste consignment note for each collection of hazardous waste such as amalgam, X-ray chemicals and infectious waste in England and Wales, kept for at least three years. Scotland uses special waste consignment notes and Northern Ireland has its own hazardous waste rules. Digital waste tracking does not yet replace these notes.
- [Pre-acceptance waste audits for dental practices: what they are and how often](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/guides/pre-acceptance-waste-audit-dental/): A pre-acceptance waste audit is a check of how a healthcare producer generates, segregates, stores and describes its clinical waste, which permitted treatment sites require before accepting it. Environment Agency guidance sets a minimum frequency of every two years for dental practices producing less than five tonnes of clinical waste a year. The practice is responsible for making sure the audit is done, often with help from its waste contractor.
- [Dental sharps safety and disposal: containers, cartridges and needlestick rules](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/guides/dental-sharps-safety-and-disposal/): Dental practices must place sharps containers close to the point of use, use yellow-lidded containers for part-used anaesthetic cartridges and other medicinally contaminated sharps, close containers at the fill line, label them with the practice and dates, and store them securely until collection. The Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 also require safer working practices, training and a clear needlestick injury procedure.
- [How to choose a dental waste contractor: questions to ask and contract traps](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/guides/how-to-choose-a-dental-waste-contractor/): Choose a dental waste contractor that holds the right waste carrier registration, uses permitted treatment sites, handles every stream you produce including amalgam and X-ray chemicals, provides correct paperwork for each collection, and quotes an all-in price showing containers, collections, treatment and any paperwork or duty-of-care charges. Watch for long auto-renewing contracts, hidden fees, excess weight charges and annual price rises above an agreed index.

## Services
- Amalgam and mercury waste: Amalgam separator waste, amalgam capsules, waste amalgam and extracted teeth containing amalgam, collected in sealed white containers and sent for mercury recovery. Amalgam is hazardous waste and must never go in clinical bags or down the drain.
- Sharps and anaesthetic cartridges: Correctly coloured sharps containers for needles, matrix bands, burs and blades, including yellow-lidded containers for part-used local anaesthetic cartridges, collected and sent for incineration or approved treatment.
- Infectious and offensive waste: Orange-bag infectious waste and yellow-and-black tiger-bag offensive waste such as gloves, bibs and masks, segregated properly so you are not paying hazardous rates for waste that does not need them.
- X-ray chemicals and lead foils: Used fixer and developer from wet film processing collected as hazardous chemical waste, with silver recovered where possible, plus lead foils from intra-oral film packets sent for metal recycling.
- Medicines and gypsum: Out-of-date and part-used medicines collected in pharmaceutical waste containers, and plaster and gypsum models kept separate from general waste for correct treatment.
- Practice clear-outs and refits: One-off collections when a practice refits, merges, closes or switches to digital X-ray: old chemicals, processors, expired stock and accumulated waste removed with full paperwork.

## Areas by region
- [Dental waste disposal in London](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/areas/london/): Croydon, Bromley, Barnet, Enfield, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon, Uxbridge, Hounslow, Kingston upon Thames, Richmond, Twickenham, Wimbledon, Sutton, Romford, Ilford, Bexleyheath, Orpington, Greenwich, Lewisham, Islington, Camden, Hackney, Walthamstow, Wembley, Battersea, Fulham, Chelsea
- [Dental waste disposal in South East](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/areas/south-east/): Brighton, Hove, Eastbourne, Hastings, Crawley, Worthing, Chichester, Horsham, Bognor Regis, Guildford, Woking, Epsom, Redhill, Reigate, Camberley, Farnham, Staines, Weybridge, Esher, Maidstone, Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells, Ashford, Dartford, Gravesend, Sevenoaks, Margate, Folkestone, Chatham, Rochester, Gillingham, Reading, Slough, Windsor, Maidenhead, Bracknell, Newbury, Wokingham, Oxford, Banbury, Bicester, Abingdon, Henley-on-Thames, Witney, Milton Keynes, High Wycombe, Aylesbury, Amersham, Southampton, Portsmouth, Basingstoke, Winchester, Andover, Farnborough, Fareham, Eastleigh, Havant
- [Dental waste disposal in East of England](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/areas/east-of-england/): Cambridge, Peterborough, Ely, Huntingdon, St Neots, Norwich, King's Lynn, Great Yarmouth, Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Lowestoft, Colchester, Chelmsford, Southend-on-Sea, Basildon, Brentwood, Harlow, Braintree, Luton, Bedford, St Albans, Watford, Stevenage, Hemel Hempstead, Hertford, Welwyn Garden City, Bishop's Stortford, Hitchin
- [Dental waste disposal in South West](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/areas/south-west/): Bristol, Bath, Taunton, Weston-super-Mare, Yeovil, Exeter, Plymouth, Torquay, Barnstaple, Truro, Falmouth, Newquay, St Austell, Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester, Weymouth, Swindon, Salisbury, Chippenham, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stroud
- [Dental waste disposal in West Midlands](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/areas/west-midlands/): Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, Lichfield, Tamworth, Burton upon Trent, Worcester, Redditch, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Telford, Warwick, Leamington Spa, Nuneaton, Rugby, Stratford-upon-Avon
- [Dental waste disposal in East Midlands](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/areas/east-midlands/): Nottingham, Mansfield, Newark, Derby, Chesterfield, Leicester, Loughborough, Hinckley, Northampton, Kettering, Corby, Wellingborough, Lincoln, Grantham, Boston
- [Dental waste disposal in North West](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/areas/north-west/): Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Bolton, Wigan, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Altrincham, Liverpool, Birkenhead, St Helens, Southport, Warrington, Chester, Crewe, Macclesfield, Preston, Blackpool, Blackburn, Burnley, Lancaster, Carlisle, Kendal
- [Dental waste disposal in Yorkshire](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/areas/yorkshire/): Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Halifax, Keighley, Dewsbury, Harrogate, York, Scarborough, Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham, Barnsley, Hull, Beverley
- [Dental waste disposal in North East](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/areas/north-east/): Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland, Gateshead, South Shields, Durham, Darlington, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Hartlepool
- [Dental waste disposal in Wales](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/areas/wales/): Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Bridgend, Barry, Wrexham, Bangor, Llandudno, Aberystwyth, Carmarthen
- [Dental waste disposal in Scotland](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/areas/scotland/): Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Stirling, Perth, Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston, Ayr
- [Dental waste disposal in Northern Ireland](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/areas/northern-ireland/): Belfast, Lisburn, Newry, Derry

## Optional
- [Full FAQ and content](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/llms-full.txt)
- [All areas](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/areas/)

## Service pages
- [Amalgam and mercury waste disposal for dental practices](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/services/amalgam-and-mercury-waste/): Amalgam waste disposal is the collection of waste amalgam, used capsules, amalgam separator contents and extracted teeth with amalgam fillings, which are hazardous waste under List of Wastes code 18 01 10* because of their mercury content. It is needed by any practice that places or removes amalgam fillings. In the UK it typically costs £20 to £50 per container, with a hazardous waste consignment note for each collection.
- [Dental sharps and anaesthetic cartridge disposal](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/services/sharps-and-anaesthetic-cartridges/): Dental sharps disposal covers needles, part-used local anaesthetic cartridges, burs, scalpel blades, matrix bands, endodontic files and broken instruments, collected in the correct colour-lidded sharps containers. Sharps contaminated with medicines such as part-used cartridges go in yellow-lidded containers for incineration, and purely non-medicinal sharps can go in orange-lidded containers. In the UK, sharps container collections typically cost £8 to £25 per container.
- [Dental infectious and offensive waste collection](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/services/infectious-and-offensive-waste/): Dental infectious and offensive waste collection covers soft clinical waste from patient care: infectious waste in orange bags, sent for treatment or incineration, and non-infectious offensive waste such as gloves, bibs, masks and aprons in yellow-and-black tiger bags. It is needed by every dental practice. In the UK it typically costs £5 to £25 per bag or bin, with offensive waste usually much cheaper to dispose of than infectious waste.
- [Dental X-ray chemical and lead foil disposal](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/services/x-ray-chemicals-and-lead-foils/): Dental X-ray chemical disposal is the collection of used fixer and developer from wet film processing, which are hazardous waste under List of Wastes codes 09 01 04* and 09 01 01* and must never go down the drain. It also covers lead foils from intra-oral film packets and old processing equipment. In the UK it typically costs £20 to £45 per chemical container, with silver usually recovered from the fixer.
- [Dental medicines and gypsum waste disposal](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/services/medicines-and-gypsum/): Dental medicines and gypsum disposal covers out-of-date, part-used and returned medicines, collected in pharmaceutical waste containers for incineration, and plaster and gypsum models, which are kept separate from general waste. It suits any practice clearing expired stock, emergency drugs or study models. In the UK, a pharmaceutical or gypsum container collection typically costs around £15 to £45 per container.
- [Dental practice clear-outs, refits and closures](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/services/practice-clear-outs-and-refits/): A dental practice clear-out is a one-off collection of accumulated and unusual waste when a practice refits, merges, closes, changes owner or switches to digital X-ray, covering old chemicals, expired stock, amalgam, sharps, medicines, gypsum and old equipment. It suits practice owners, buyers and refit contractors. In the UK a one-off clear-out typically costs £150 to £500, depending on what is removed.

## Glossary
- [Dental waste disposal glossary](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/glossary/)

## Blog
- [Switching to digital X-ray: disposing of fixer, films and processors](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/blog/switching-to-digital-x-ray-waste-disposal/): When a dental practice switches from wet film to digital X-ray, leftover fixer and developer, including unopened concentrate, must be collected as hazardous waste with a consignment note, never poured down the drain. Lead foils go for metal recycling, unused film is collected separately, and old processors and X-ray units are handled as waste electrical equipment, often in a single clear-out collection.
- [Closing, selling or merging a dental practice: the waste checklist](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/blog/closing-a-dental-practice-waste-checklist/): When a dental practice closes, moves or is sold, every waste stream needs to be cleared with the right paperwork: amalgam and separator contents, sharps, clinical waste, X-ray chemicals, medicines including controlled drugs, gypsum and old equipment. Suction lines and amalgam separators should be decommissioned by a specialist, and waste records must still be kept for at least two or three years after closure.
- [Dental waste and inspections: what CQC and other regulators check](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/blog/dental-waste-inspection-what-inspectors-check/): When dental practices are inspected, waste is checked as part of infection prevention and control and safe premises. Inspectors typically look at whether waste is segregated using the HTM 07-01 colour codes, sharps containers are labelled and not overfilled, clinical waste is stored securely, and transfer and consignment notes, contracts and pre-acceptance audits are in place.
- [Disposing of dental medicines and controlled drugs: a UK guide](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/blog/dental-medicines-controlled-drugs-disposal/): Dental practices should put expired and unwanted medicines in a pharmaceutical waste container, usually blue-lidded for non-cytotoxic medicines, for incineration. Controlled drugs such as midazolam must be denatured with a suitable kit before disposal, injectables and part-used cartridges go in yellow-lidded sharps containers, oxygen cylinders go back to the supplier, and no medicine should ever be poured down a sink or toilet.
- [Dental laboratory waste: gypsum, resins, metals and impressions](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/blog/dental-laboratory-waste-guide/): Dental laboratories produce different waste from surgeries: large volumes of gypsum, alginate and silicone impressions, acrylic monomer and resins, metal scrap and grindings, investment and grinding dust, waxes and pickling acids. Gypsum must be kept out of general waste going to landfill, liquid monomer and acids are hazardous chemicals, and metal scrap is usually worth sending for refining.
- [How to cut dental waste costs and make your practice more sustainable](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/blog/reduce-dental-waste-costs-sustainability/): The quickest way for a dental practice to cut waste costs is to move low-risk items such as gloves, bibs and masks from infectious to offensive waste, fill containers properly before collection, and match collection frequency to how quickly bins fill. Digital imaging and scanning remove chemical and gypsum waste, and recycling packaging separately reduces general waste costs and meets workplace recycling rules.
- [Digital waste tracking 2026: what it means for dental practices](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/blog/digital-waste-tracking-dental-practices/): Mandatory digital waste tracking began on 1 October 2026 for permitted and licensed waste receiving sites in England and Wales, with Scotland and Northern Ireland following in January 2027 and carriers, brokers and dealers from October 2027. Dental practices do not need to use the system yet, and must keep completing waste transfer notes and hazardous waste consignment notes as before.
- [Is dental amalgam being banned in the UK? The 2034 phase-out explained](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/blog/dental-amalgam-phase-out-uk/): Dental amalgam is not banned in the UK yet. The EU banned most use from 1 January 2025, but Northern Ireland secured a derogation allowing use until 31 December 2034, and in November 2025 parties to the Minamata Convention, including the UK, agreed to phase out dental amalgam by 2034. Existing rules on separators, encapsulated amalgam and use in children still apply, and amalgam waste will continue for years from removing old fillings.
- [Mercury spill in a dental practice: what to do step by step](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/blog/mercury-spill-dental-practice/): If mercury or amalgam is spilled, keep people away, ventilate the room, remove jewellery, put on gloves and use the practice mercury spill kit to collect droplets into a sealed container. Never vacuum or sweep up mercury, and never put it in clinical waste or down the drain. The recovered mercury goes in the amalgam waste stream, and the incident should be recorded and reviewed under COSHH.
- [Setting up waste management for a new dental practice: a checklist](https://dentalwastedisposal.org.uk/blog/new-dental-practice-waste-setup/): A new dental practice needs a waste contract with a registered carrier covering every stream it will produce, colour-coded containers in each surgery and the decontamination room, a secure store for waste awaiting collection, a written waste policy, staff training, an amalgam separator if amalgam will be used, and a filing system for transfer and consignment notes. Practices in Wales producing more than 500kg of hazardous waste a year must also register with Natural Resources Wales.