Washroom services across London and the Thames Valley since 2002

If women use your toilets, you need to give them a hygienic way to dispose of sanitary products. That comes from the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and the approved code of practice that goes with them, which say toilets used by women should have a suitable means of disposing of sanitary dressings.

Where bins should go

In practice that means a sanitary bin in every cubicle used by women and in every accessible toilet. A single bin by the sinks doesn’t really meet the need, because people shouldn’t have to carry used products out of the cubicle.

Why products can’t just be flushed

Sanitary products don’t break down in water. Flushing them blocks pipes and drains, and water companies spend a lot of money clearing the results. Signs asking people not to flush only work if there’s a bin within reach.

What happens to the waste

Sanitary waste from a business is classed as offensive waste. It isn’t hazardous, but it can’t go in your general rubbish. Under your duty of care, you need to use a registered waste carrier and keep a waste transfer note for each type of waste that leaves your site. Most sites get one annual note that covers every collection in the year.

How often bins should be changed

The law doesn’t set a frequency. What matters is that bins never overflow. Every four weeks suits most offices. Busy sites, schools and venues usually need fortnightly or weekly visits.

A quick checklist