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Sustainability 23 October 2020

Webinar: The status of clinical waste collections during COVID-19 and future planning

We recently partnered with Health Purchasing Victoria, the Environment Protection Authority and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning to present a webinar on clinical waste during COVID-19.

Held on 30 September 2020, the webinar attracted more than 70 attendees from Victorian health services. The webinar provided:

  • an update on the clinical waste collection status during COVID-19
  • the avenues of support available
  • future planning considerations.


The webinar also provided the opportunity for health services to share their current experiences and concerns with the four government agencies involved in the clinical waste process.

About the webinar

The webinar was held in response to the significant increase in the amount of clinical waste generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. During Victoria’s second wave, clinical waste collections were impacted. Throughout this period, we collaborated with Health Purchasing Victoria, the Environment Protection Authority and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and waste contractors to facilitate the collection, processing and disposal of the waste while adhering to environmental regulations.

Rachel McConville, our Waste Education Officer, spoke on the collaboration between the government agencies to support Victorian health services.

‘VHHSBA has been working with hospitals and government agencies to make sure that our response to COVID-19 is as strong as possible. A collaborative approach is required to mitigate any issues arising, build on our learnings and offer practical and targeted support required to achieve better health outcomes.’
Rachel McConville, Waste Education Officer, VHHSBA

Learn more about managing clinical waste on the Sustainability page in our Resources section.

Watch the webinar

About the presenters

Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority, Asset Strategy, Environmental Sustainability unit

  • Rachel McConville, Waste Education Officer – presented on key learnings and future planning.


Health Purchasing Victoria (HPV)

  • James Lee, Senior Category Manager– presented on the HPV Waste management contract.


Department of Environment, Land, Planning and Water (DELWP)

  • Kim Soo, Senior Policy Officer, Waste and Recycling Division - presented on the whole of government approach to COVID-19 and the initiatives introduced.


Environment Protection Authority (EPA)

  • Nathalie Allaz-Barnett, Team Leader, Advice and Assessment, Environmental Public Health Unit – presented on the whole of government approach to COVID-19 from a regulatory perspective and shared insights on clinical waste in the non-hospital setting.


All presenters wish to express their sincere gratitude to all that attended for their active interest and support in improving the environmental sustainability of our health system.

Health Purchasing Victoria (HPV)

Health Purchasing Victoria is a state-wide health procurement organisation that negotiates and manages contracts on behalf of Victorian public hospitals and health services. This includes the state-wide waste management contract. 

During the webinar, James Lee, from HPV, presented on the HPV Waste management contract and discussed the current issues being experienced across the network, as well as steps being taken to address these issues and avenues for escalation.

Learn more on the HPV website.

Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) 

DELWP is a Victorian government department focused on creating a liveable, inclusive and sustainable Victoria with thriving natural environments.

Kim Soo from DELWP presented on the whole of government response to clinical waste during COVID-19 including the establishment of the Waste and Recycling Incident Management Team (WRIMT) as a key measure introduced in April 2020. The WRIMT has been coordinating policy advice and key responses to issues, consulting with industry, identifying risks, collecting data and analysing sector impacts and preparedness.

Environment Protection Authority (EPA) 

The EPA works to protect the environment and human health from the impacts of pollution and waste.
During the webinar, Nathalie Allaz-Barnett, from the EPA presented on the whole of government response to COVID-19 from a regulatory perspective and shared insights into clinical waste in the non-hospital setting.

‘We processed triple our annual number of 30A applications for increased storage (such as) shipping container storage and increased interstate transport in less than three weeks to support the increase in the volume of PPE in the aged care sector.’
Nathalie Allaz-Barnett, Team Leader, Advice and Assessment, Environmental Public Health Unit, EPA

Learn more on the EPA website, which includes the Coronavirus (COVID-19): Disposing clinical waste guide and Coronavirus (COVID-19): Disposing of PPE at home and in the workplace guide.

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