Frequently Asked Questions

We have high-image quality security cameras at all locations. In addition to that, we protect ourselves through education & training and ongoing monitoring of plant activities. Our healthcare waste transport vehicles are also equipped with state-of-the-art GPS technology.

The distance travelled for processing depends upon the location of the customer’s site. Sharpsmart have 3 operational facilities spread across the UK, and our northern, Midlands, and southern operations all have their own individual outlets for the disposal of waste removed from customers’ containers, with several outlets ensuring that we have secondary and tertiary lines of waste treatment at each of our facilities. Further to this, Sharpsmart have robust, tried-and-tested business continuity plans in place for our own operations to ensure that any foreseeable event which may cause disruption to our activities has a contingency plan in place. All sites have sufficient storage capacity to deal with short-term issues, including long-term maintenance agreements for the state-of-the-art equipment used to empty and clean our containers. In the event that a long term equipment failure or outage is encountered, Sharpsmart have the reserved capacity internally to utilise one of our other facilities to process containers. One further point that is worth considering is that a single use container is usually delivered from the manufacturing plant, to NHS supply chain and is then transported from the hub to site. Due to the positioning of Sharpsmart facilities, we can prove to you that we offer more sustainable service.

Sharpsmart has 5 clean processing facilities across the United Kingdom including locations in Normanton, Stoke, Reading, Rainham and Spennymoor. Click on our contact us page for more information about plant locations.

We have high-image quality security cameras at all locations. In addition to that, we protect ourselves through education & training and ongoing monitoring of plant activities. Our healthcare waste transport vehicles are also equipped with state-of-the-art GPS technology.

During transport, the Sharpsmart containers are contained within sealed specifically designed containers (transporters). Clean containers are kept in separate transporters from those containing waste. There is no possibility of cross-contamination due to the fact that transporters are equipped with sealed doors and, in any event, the containers are sealed (liquid and air-tight) during transportation and storage therefore there is no risk.

Yes, Sharpsmart has its own fleet that are geo-tracked for secure tracking of clinical waste. Drivers complete all local training required.

Sharpsmart transports our customers’ clinical waste using its own fleet of vehicles and all vehicles are operated by Sharpsmart’s trained drivers.

The fact that our sharps and clinical waste containers are pre-assembled when delivered does not mean that we are transporting a large amount of fresh air. The Sharpsmart units are transported in robust sealed transporter units, which are utilised to safely carry the empty (clean) containers and also utilised for the containers when full. The delivery and collection process is extremely efficient as it eliminates the need for the disposal using the 770L clinical waste containers (which a single-use container does). These 770L containers are delivered to site empty.

Sharpsmart has engineered purpose-built bulk delivery carts that enable efficient handling of your Sharpsmart sharps disposal containers within your facility, and from your facility. These uniquely designed transportation accessories ensure your containers are always elevated from the ground (eliminating cross-contamination), are kept permanently upright and perfectly spaced to ensure no abrasions. Contained within their housing whilst being transported within Sharpsmart trucks ensures containers are locked in an elevated locked position to avoid damage, contamination and spillage.

The distance travelled for processing depends upon the location of the customer’s site. Sharpsmart have 3 operational facilities spread across the UK, and our northern, Midlands, and southern operations all have their own individual outlets for the disposal of waste removed from customers’ containers, with several outlets ensuring that we have secondary and tertiary lines of waste treatment at each of our facilities. Further to this, Sharpsmart have robust, tried-and-tested business continuity plans in place for our own operations to ensure that any foreseeable event which may cause disruption to our activities has a contingency plan in place. All sites have sufficient storage capacity to deal with short-term issues, including long-term maintenance agreements for the state-of-the-art equipment used to empty and clean our containers. In the event that a long term equipment failure or outage is encountered, Sharpsmart have the reserved capacity internally to utilise one of our other facilities to process containers. One further point that is worth considering is that a single use container is usually delivered from the manufacturing plant, to NHS supply chain and is then transported from the hub to site. Due to the positioning of Sharpsmart facilities, we can prove to you that we offer more sustainable service.

Sharpsmart Ltd has developed a CO2 life cycle assessment tool, which proves that the use of single-use sharps containers generate in excess of 80% more CO₂e than a safety engineered system. There have been many life cycle assessment performed which have been used to demonstrate the benefits of the safety engineered system therefore this statement is totally unfounded. The transport of Sharpsmart units is incredibly efficient and environmentally friendly and the fact that the container is only manufactured once and is not incinerated further enhances the carbon footprint reduction.

Sharpsmart’s safety engineered sharps system is by far the most efficient method of sharps disposal. The rectangular construction enables full utilisation of the fi ll level and, in addition, the containers are routinely audited when returned to the processing facility to identify customer locations that are fi ling inefficiently and identifying if ‘non-sharps waste’ is present in the containers. This Auditsmart process is proven to reduce the number of containers required over time when compared with single use containers.The design of the system as well as the routine auditing has proven many times to actually show a higher weight per litre volume ratio than single use containers.