Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs King’s Mill Hospital and Mansfield Community Hospital, has been recognised as being among the best in the country for how it manages waste.

The trust, in partnership with facilities management company Skanska, has been shortlisted in the waste management category at the 2017 NHS Sustainability Awards.

The national awards, which are being held on 17 May, showcase those healthcare organisations that have strived to implement active change in the way waste is managed.

The awards recognise the improvements that have been made across the Trust since November 2014, with recycling rates increasing to 180 tonnes of cardboard and 75 tonnes of confidential waste paper being recycled, 40 tonnes of furniture being repurposed and reused and 180 tonnes of dry mixed recycling being collected.

Peter Wozencroft, director of strategic planning and commercial development, said: “We have changed the way we manage our waste and have developed a new system, which has involved our staff changing their behaviour to ensure the right rubbish is put in the right bins, recycling more and reducing the amount of rubbish we send to landfill. This not only helps the environment, it has also saved us £418,000, so far.

“This demonstrates just one of the differences all our staff can make towards improving patient care – the more we can save by reducing waste, the more we can dedicate to patient care.”

The trust’s waste is now categorised and segregated into 19 types of bins, including cardboard and non-confidential paper, clean plastics and metal.

Skanska managing director Katy Dowding added: “Our special waste management service helps our customers to cut their costs and protect the environment. Our collaborative approach brings real benefits to the NHS.”

The achievements include:
•More than 180 tonnes of cardboard was baled and sold – that’s the same weight as 26 male African elephants
•Training has been completed by more than 3,600 key staff members
•75 tonnes of confidential waste has been segregated for recycling
•Clinical disposal waste costs have been cut
•40 tonnes of furniture has been re-purposed and re-used
•180 tonnes of dry mixed waste has been recycled.

Pictured are the whe waste management team with some of the cardboard collected from Sherwood Forest Hospitals to be recycled. Pictured left to right: waste auditor supervisor Jaimie Brimsted, waste contract manager Samantha Stanhope and waste auditor Mo Wright.