Clinical waste and sharps disposal

A hand holding a syringe

Clinical waste

For those residents receiving medical treatment and require clinical waste disposal, please contact the NHS department providing medical treatment who will be able to provide the relevant contact details and advice.

Sharps disposal

Hazardous waste such as syringes, diabetic needles and lancets post a significant health risk and need to be disposed of safely. Do not place diabetic needles, syringes or lancets in any general refuse sacks or bins - you may not only be risking your own health but that of the operatives that pick up the waste.

Using a special sharps box is the safest way to dispose of hypodermic needles. These are available on prescription from your local GP surgery or can be purchased directly from the pharmacy at a small cost. Once full, boxes must be returned sealed to either your local surgery or to one of the pharmacies in Gloucestershire participating in the take back scheme.

Please find below a list of pharmacies which are currently included in the syringe 'take back' scheme in Cheltenham (you may wish to contact the pharmacy to check they still accept them).

  • Cheltenham Pharmacy (Severn Springbank Cheltenham)
  • Badhams (18 Regent Street Cheltenham)
  • Badhams (6 Prestbury Road Cheltenham)
  • Badhams (256 London Road Cheltenham)
  • Badhams (102 Whaddon Road Cheltenham)
  • Badhams (62 Hewlett Road Cheltenham)
  • Badhams (Swindon Road Cheltenham)
  • Boots (Gallagher Park Tewkesbury Road Cheltenham) - Currently not accepting sharps until further notice.
  • Boots (197-199 High Street Cheltenham) - Currently not accepting sharps until further notice.
  • Hazel Hawkes (52 Windermere Road Cheltenham)
  • Lloyds (56 Edinburgh Place Coronation Square Cheltenham)
  • Lloyds (St Pauls Medical Centre 121 Swindon Rd Cheltenham)
  • Lloyds (Waitrose Store Honeybourne Way Cheltenham)
  • Rowlands (5 High Street Prestbury Cheltenham)
  • Rowlands/College Pharmacy (139 Bath Road Cheltenham)
  • Rowlands (244 Bath Road Leckhampton Cheltenham)
  • Sainsbury's (Gallagher Retail Park Cheltenham)
  • Spa Pharmacy (12 Rotunda Terrace Montpellier St Cheltenham)
  • Superdrug (95-97 High Street Cheltenham)

These pharmacies give out boxes for the safe disposal of syringes and then take them back.

A full list of the Gloucestershire pharmacies offering the 'take back' service can be found on the Recycle for Gloucestershire website.

Sharps and sharp boxes must not be disposed of in the general household rubbish. Nor can clinical waste be taken to household recycling centres.