Guidance

Cleaning and sterilising waste medical instruments containing metal for recovery: RPS 160

Environment Agency regulatory position on cleaning and sterilising waste medical instruments containing metal to allow the waste metal to be recovered elsewhere.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to have an environmental permit for a waste operation to clean and sterilise waste medical instruments containing metal. This applies to both single use and end-of-life multiuse instruments.

However, the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action if you do not comply with this legal requirement if you meet the requirements in the RPS.

The regulatory position does not apply to any other legal requirements.

Published 30 July 2020
Last updated 30 October 2023 + show all updates
  1. Updated the RPS to use the latest RPS template and extended the expiry date to 1 August 2026.

  2. First published.