Guidance

Waste exemption: T28 sort and denature controlled drugs for disposal

From:: Environment Agency
Part of:: Waste exemptions: treating waste
Published:: 28 April 2014

Allows pharmacies and other similar places to comply with the requirements of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 by denaturing controlled drugs (making them unsuitable for consumption).

Type of activity you can carry out

Includes when a pharmacy or veterinary surgery is required to denature controlled drugs before disposing of them.

Types of activity you can’t carry out

You can’t treat:

any waste drugs that are hazardous waste
controlled drugs that are waste at any other place than where the waste was produced

Types of waste you can treat

The waste codes are those listed in the List of Wastes (LoW) Regulations. You need to make sure your waste fits within the relevant waste code and description.

Waste code	Type of waste
180109	Medicines from natal care, diagnosis, treatment or prevention of disease in humans
180208	Medicines from research, diagnosis, treatment or prevention of disease involving animals
200132	Medicines separately collected as municipal waste

Quantity of waste you can treat

You can:

store or treat up to 1 cubic metre of waste at any one time
store waste for up to 6 months

Key conditions

Under this exemption you can only sort or denature controlled drugs before disposing of them.

Other things you need to know

You can store other returned or out of date medicines under the Non Waste Framework Directive exemption for temporary storage of waste at a collection centre. There is no need to register the Non Waste Framework Directive exemption.

Register this exemption

You need to register this exemption with us if you will meet the requirements:

Definitions

Controlled drug – a controlled drug specified in Schedules 1 to 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.

Hazardous waste – see How to classify different types of waste

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