Sustainable changes can often be money savers. A recent project from the SASH waste team is the perfect example.
Michael Brownjohn, waste manager at SASH noticed that broken bins were stacking up. Pedal bins have a weak spot - the pedal - and with pedal bins being essential for infection control the Trust found they were getting through more than they would like. Michael realised that repairing the pedal would be cheaper and create less waste than binning the old bin and buying a replacement.
Michael stores the broken bins, refurbish them in bulk and then offers them back out to teams at the hospital.
The cost savings on Michael's first trial of this new process totalled around £3,900. A replacement pedal only costs £12, and even adding in the man hours to replace x20 at a time it is significantly cheaper than buying replacement bins.
The carbon saving is also important, with around 198kg of plastic saved, this equates to around 594kg of CO2, that's the equivalent of driving for 1,500 miles.
More sustainable solutions like Michael’s will support Trusts in achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2040.
Michael is featured in our Zero Hero section for his initiative; have you or a colleague implemented more sustainable practices in your place of work that strives towards a greener NHS? Nominate them to become a Zero Hero.