We’re not just here to look after patients when they become ill – we also want to improve the health of our communities and ensure our impact on the environment is only beneficial to all.
As part of this, we’re committed to improving recycling to help keep the planet healthy.
This includes rolling out recycling hubs at Scunthorpe and Grimsby hospitals to encourage staff to recycle and asking staff to reuse furniture and other items where possible.
And now, as we celebrate National Recycle Week – which this year is focused on challenging myths around recycling and improving behaviours – we’re stepping up our efforts even more.
Our Logistics and Waste Manager, Sally Yates, said: “Reducing our waste and increasing the amount we recycle is very important to us. We have a number of initiatives to encourage staff to recycle more.
“Reducing our waste and increasing the amount we recycle has significant health benefits, as poor environmental health contributes to a number of major conditions, including asthma, cancer and heart health.”
Previously, all of our clinical waste was incinerated including single-use instruments. These are now heated in an autoclave machine before entering the recycling chain as scrap metal.
We are now able to recycle lots more items of plastics than we were previously able to. This includes bed headboards and non-contaminated plastics.
All the money we raise currently goes back into the Facilities budget. This was around £16,000 in the last financial year. The Waste team would like to use this revenue to increase the rollout of recycling initiatives.
Last year, we won an award for reducing, reusing and recycling our waste. We achieved four out of a possible five stars in the Zero Waste Awards and the team are working hard to achieve that extra star this year.
Last year, we changed what we always called ‘domestic waste’ to ‘non-recyclable waste’. We hope this will make staff think about what they’re throwing away.
Mrs Yates added: “It is all about changing people’s mindset. We need them to consume less and think reusable.”
For more information on Recycle Week, visit the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) website.
