What is HTM 07-01?

If a contractor, an auditor or a CQC inspector asks whether your waste follows HTM 07-01, this is what they mean.

What HTM 07-01 is

Health Technical Memorandum 07-01, Safe and sustainable management of healthcare waste, is guidance published by NHS England. It explains how healthcare waste should be classified, segregated, packaged, stored, transported and treated, and how the law on waste applies to healthcare.

The current edition is dated 2022 and was published on NHS England’s site in 2023, replacing the 2013 edition. It is written for NHS organisations, but its colour code and methods are used across private healthcare, dental and veterinary practices, care homes and the contractors who serve them.

Is HTM 07-01 the law?

No. It is best practice guidance. The law sits in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (the duty of care), the Hazardous Waste Regulations and the Controlled Waste Regulations. HTM 07-01 explains how to meet those duties in a healthcare setting.

In practice it carries weight because:

• treatment sites check your waste against it during the pre-acceptance audit;
• the Environment Agency’s own guidance for healthcare waste refers to it;
• inspectors use it as the benchmark for good segregation.

The colour code

The most visible part of HTM 07-01 is the colour code for bags, bins and sharps lids.

Red for anatomical waste is a newer addition to the code. Our clinical waste disposal page shows the chart with waste codes and a filter by practice type.

The 20:20:60 targets

The 2022 edition sets a target for how healthcare waste should be split by 2026:

• 20% to high-temperature incineration;
• 20% to alternative treatment, such as heat or chemical treatment of orange-bag waste;
• 60% segregated as offensive waste.

For most practices the lesson is simple. A large share of what goes in orange bags could go in tiger bags if it is not infectious, and tiger-bag waste costs much less to collect. See offensive waste disposal for the cost difference.

What it means for your practice

Segregation at source

Each room should have the containers it needs, in the right colours, with clear signs. Staff should know what goes where, and the practice should have a written waste policy.

Sharps

Sharps bins should match the lid colour to the contents (orange, yellow or purple), be closed at the fill line and be labelled with where they came from and when.

Storage

Waste waiting for collection should be kept secure, away from the public and pests, in a locked store or bin.

Audits

Your treatment site needs a pre-acceptance audit of what you produce. Environment Agency guidance asks for one at least every year for medical practices producing 5 tonnes or more, every two years for dental, veterinary and laboratory producers under 5 tonnes, and every five years for other healthcare producers.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

HTM 07-01 is English guidance. Wales publishes its own version (WHTM 07-01), and Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own healthcare waste guidance. The colour code is broadly shared, but check with your contractor if your practice is outside England.

Questions people ask

Does HTM 07-01 apply to private practices?

It is written for the NHS, but private dental, medical, veterinary and aesthetics practices are expected to follow the same standards, and contractors apply it to everyone.

Is colour coding mandatory?

The colours themselves are guidance. Segregating waste correctly, and describing it accurately on the paperwork, is a legal duty.

Where can I read HTM 07-01?

It is free on NHS England’s website. The sources list on this page links to it.

For a contractor that works to HTM 07-01, see the dental or care home pages, or use the form below.