There has been a lot of political debate in the UK and other areas of Europe and North America about the future of home refuse collection. Driven by environmental policy and the need to reduce the ever increasing costs of disposing of household waste, many new laws and regulations are being introduced to promote recycling and reduce the amount of waste that ends in landfills.

As a consequence of all the political wrangling, the traditional dustbin is to become a thing of the past with multiple receptacles for different recycling with some home owners expected to need up to five different rubbish bins for different materials.

As a result, it is expected there will be an increase in the demand for rubbish receptacles – but selecting the right bins for councils and locaal authorities can be a difficult task, especially if there is an investment  on new receptacles. Making sure the right bin is fit for the right purpose, is vital as getting it wrong could be financially disastrous if the wrong bins are provided.

But the requirements for what bin is required can often have more to do with the location than the rules. There is little point in supplying an apartment block with wheelie bins for garden waste if there is no garden, and often if space is an issue where a different solution such as shared bins may have to be thought of.

Wheelie bins are commonly used by many local authorities for residential waste as they are often seen as a solution for all waste needs and they have many advantages over other types of exterior bins. They are tall, which prevents vermin and pests from entering the bin, and are secured with a decent fitting lid.

But the main advantage of the wheelie bin is how easy they are to move around by both the resident and the collection team. They are can also be manufactured in multiple colours which is crucial if multiple bins are provided for different materials for recycling.

However, the procedure to wheel out several bins for collection every week or fortnight may be unpopular with local residents. It may also be impractical for apartment blocks or for streets where there is little room on the pavement – and the bins themselves could even become a hazard.

Is dustbin about to make a comeback

The traditional method of refuse collectors entering a property to collect the dustbin may seem an outdated practice but some local authorities are turning back to this method for less frequent collections, such as garden waste. Often, in these sorts of situations, a lidded outdoor bin is often a better solution as they are easier to carry and less cumbersome.

The care sector is an important but challenging industry. Ensuring vulnerable people are cared for requires a multitude of skills and abilities, but when mistakes are made criticisms can often be scathing.

Hygiene is one aspect where many sections of the care industry have come under criticism in recent years; the spread of hospital acquired infections being one reason, which is why those working in the care sector now consider hygiene to be amongst one of the highest priorities.

However, whilst a lot of emphasis is based on cleaning and ensuring floors and surfaces are clean, waste management is often overlooked as a secondary priority. But waste management is vital in any care sector surrounding, particularly in preventing the spread of infection.

Overflowing bins, the wrong type of receptacle for soiled garments or lack of regularity in the emptying of waste bins can add to the risk of infection or of disease spreading.

Hospitals,care homes and even nurseries need to ensure they have the correct bins and waste management procedures for dealing with things such as soiled garments, used bandages and even nappies. They all need to be stored in the correct receptacle to protect people in the care sector from risk of infection.

Sanitary bins are not the same as conventional bins. Bandages or hygiene products need to stored carefully before they are disposed of and while there are laws governing the disposal of such items to keep them from regular rubbish landfills, there is little legislation governing the storage of these items in the care sector itself.

However, sanitary bins, and even nappy bins are created to ensure that soiled items or products that could possibly contain pathogens are stored safely without risking the spread of disease. They are manufactured with good quality lids and are often pedal activated to reduce the risk of spreading germs through repeated contact with the bin itself.

A nappy bin is often overlooked but is important to prevent possible infection

They are also manufactured from bacteria resistant materials such as Polypropylene which offers limited surface area for germs to attach to.

The size of sanitary bin or nappy bin obviously depends on the amount of items disposed of and the regularity of the emptying of the bin but its always wise to err on the side of caution because of the bin gets full and just one sanitary item is disposed of improperly, serious repercussions could result.