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Bags, sacks and liners – Solutions for different waste

Waste is not only an inevitable part of life but often an unavoidable one. While many environmentalists share advice on prevention methods, these aren’t always achievable, and as such, the correct disposal methods are an essential message. Each type of waste is likely to have its own best end-of-life solution, whether it’s recycling, additional treatment or landfill – and often, for every end solution, there is a recommended disposal sack. These can be identified by a difference in colour or material depending on what is collected or where it will end up. Below are the various bag solutions for your waste.

General Waste

General waste, also known as residual waste, is any rubbish that cannot be recycled, reused, or composted and is typically thrown away by households and businesses. It includes materials such as non-recyclable plastics, polythene, some packaging and kitchen scraps, and this waste is typically sent to landfills or, in some cases, incineration. Typically, this waste is captured in black refuse or compactor sacks, because no specialist colouring or material is necessary. Rather than its colour, for general waste it is the strength of the bag which is often the focus, ensuring that the bag selected will withstand the weight of the waste it is carrying. Choosing a CHSA-rated bag will help you succeed with your waste management; these bags are manufactured with precision in mind, so you can guarantee ‘what’s on the box is in the box’, meaning it has been tested and successfully able to pass its stated weight of capture.

Consistency of waste collections in the UK

Recyclable Waste

Recyclable waste is any rubbish that is disposed of for recycling and reprocessed into new materials; typically, this can include glass, paper, cardboard, metal, and plastic, all of which can be made into new materials. Much like general waste, this waste is captured within weight-appropriate refuse sacks and compactors. However, often, for recycled waste, a natural or clear sack is the recommended option. This allows any unrecyclable items to be easily identified before disposal to avoid contamination. Another common type of waste sack used for recycling is a coloured sack, which is often printed with clear instructions of what can/cannot be recycled – these are very popular with local authorities, who often supply the sacks to their residents with branding and clear printed instructions to help boost recycling success.

Food or Organic Waste

Food waste is one of the most common forms of waste from households and businesses – whether it is leftovers, expired food or peelings; it is often classified as ‘organic waste’. Compostable liners break down and decompose when sent to industrial composting facilities, much like the waste it is capturing. Unlike general waste, which can take a vast number of years to decompose, compostable liners and their contents take a matter of weeks within the correct conditions.

Construction Waste

Construction and building sites are hot spots for waste, whether it is rubble, metal, bricks, wood or tools; a lot of this waste is heavy and bulky, so it must be captured in a strong, durable bag; often a rubble sack. Known for their high strength and capacity due to their thickness, they are ideal for capturing bulky and sharp waste, helping ensure it stays captured and doesn’t tear the bag. Often aggregate waste can contain asbestos, for this specialist disposal and treatment is required – this waste can safely and securely be captured in UN 3325 accredited red sack and the UN 3323 accredited clear outer sack are the recommended choice for the disposal of asbestos waste.

Handling construction waste with Cromwell's Asbestos Sacks - 01977 686868

Clinical Waste

The most complicated is clinical waste, this is due to the differing risks involved with clinical waste and their disposal method for end of life. Depending on the type of waste, what it is and where it has come from will ultimately determine the level of risk it poses for disposal and, as such, where it will end up. This can include incineration, alternative treatment or landfill. Each waste type has its own disposal method that is appropriate to the hazard it may present – offensive, infectious, contaminated with medicines, cytotoxic, etc. and each of these has a specific colour of bags which is used to identify their disposal method.

  • Purple Bags – for Cytotoxic waste bags are purple and are used to store clinical waste that has been contaminated with cytotoxic or cytostatic medicines, this waste must be sent for high temperature incineration.
  • Yellow Bags – for infectious waste, including medicine contaminated infectious waste. This is waste that has been used in the treatment of infectious patients, those suspected of having an infection and are contaminated with medicines or chemicals. This waste must be sent for incineration.
  • Orange Bags – for Infectious soft Clinical Waste, including dressings, swabs, wipes, gloves, gowns etc. This is waste arising from the treatment of infectious patients, or to those suspected of having an infection, possibly contaminated with bodily fluids. NOT containing medicine contaminated waste. This waste is sent for Alternative Treatment (AT) disposal.
  • Yellow Bags with Black Stripe (Tiger Bags) – for offensive waste (inc. sanitary / nappy waste). For waste arising from the treatment of non-infectious patients, possibly containing bodily fluids, this waste may be sent to landfill, or incineration, or AT.

Ask Cromwell

If you are uncertain of which bag you should be using for your waste, you can ask the advice of our friendly team. We can not only give our recommendations on which bag is best based on our extensive knowledge but we can also supply you with the bags to appropriately capture your waste. We have a wide range of waste sacks for all waste types, circumstances and disposal methods, in a wide range of colours, capacities, sizes and strengths, which can also be bespoke printed. Our 4 decades worth of knowledge within the industry is guaranteed to help you find the most resourceful solution, please get in touch to discuss any recycling or waste management enquires.