Waste Segregation and Your Route to Net Zero
Educate staff on best practices to ensure the correct classification and disposal of waste to avoid overtreatment.
Achieve Your Facility’s Net Zero Objectives
Drive carbon reductions and your route to net zero through:
- Optimised Waste Management
- Improved Staff Expertise
- Bespoke and Right Fit Solutions
A Strategy for a Greener Future in Healthcare
Are you looking for strategies to reduce your organisation’s carbon footprint?
Waste segregation is an effective strategy – it involves educating staff on best practices to ensure the correct classification and disposal of waste to avoid overtreatment.
But how can you optimise your waste management processes?
Here are some tips:
- Encourage waste segregation to begin at the point of generation.
- Educate all staff on waste disposal best practices.
- Segregate waste in line with the 20-20-60 waste split.
NHS England recommends a 20-20-60 split of healthcare waste treatment: 20% high-temp incineration, 20% alternative treatment, and 60% offensive waste converted to energy.
By introducing a bespoke waste segregation strategy, you’ll contribute to a healthier, greener future for us all. So why wait?
Get in touch for help navigating your route to Net Zero and making the most of waste segregation strategies today!
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OPTIMISED WASTE MANAGEMENT
Maximise your efficiency with solutions optimised for the waste you’re generating, ensuring your waste goes into the right bin and to the most sustainable outlet.
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IMPROVED STAFF EXPERTISE
A consultancy approach to waste management provides staff with the training and educational material necessary to execute your strategies in compliance with regulations.
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BESPOKE SOLUTIONS
A comprehensive site-wide audit is the best way to tailor waste management strategies that meet the specific needs of your facility before introducing solutions and targets.
Bag to Bed – An Example of Waste Segregation
Let’s use the Sharpsmart Bag-to-Bed system which provides point-of-care disposal solutions alongside a blended learning programme that drives staff efficiency as an example:
Staff at Liverpool Women’s Hospital had limited education on waste segregation techniques and no disposal methods were in place to ensure the Trust was following the waste hierarchy.
Within 6 months of introducing the Bag-to-Bed system, the 1,410-strong team were diverting 40% of their waste from clinical to offensive streams – delivering a 45% cost saving. The Trust was also able to annually:
- Reduce 56 tonnes of CO₂e.
- Divert 10 tonnes of plastic from incineration.
- Save 10% on sharps management costs.
Explore Our Net Zero Resources
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The Hidden Cost of Plastic in Healthcare
This guest blog by Richard Hixson exposes the environmental impact of plastic in hospitals.
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Aligning with the Net Zero Supplier Framework
Aligning with the NHS Net Zero Supplier Framework is crucial for a greener healthcare.
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Navigating ERIC Data Reporting – Tips for NHS Healthcare Workers
Learn about navigating ERIC data reporting with a full understanding.
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The Life Journey of Our Reusable Sharps Containers
Where do reusable sharps containers come from?
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Expert Tips for Hospitals on the Route to Net Zero
The route to Net Zero is paved with green intentions… or something like that.
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Our Carbon Reduction Plan
Explore our strategies and commitments to reaching Net Zero by 2040.
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What is the Waste Hierarchy?
Explore some helpful steps for implementing the waste hierarchy that can be used for healthcare facilities of any size.
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How Offensive Waste Drives Sustainability
Utilising the offensive waste stream has been proven to drive sustainability in healthcare and significantly reduce carbon footprint
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A Method for Reducing Single-Use Plastics
Learn more about the role of reusable sharps containers in reducing single-use plastics in the NHS.
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5 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Within Waste Management
Healthcare facilities are looking for additional ways to drive positive change and introduce more sustainable practices.
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What is Greener NHS?
The NHS has made a commitment to becoming a greener organisation and is the first national health service to commit to net zero.
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Our Commitment to Sustainability
We’ve developed our own route to net zero strategy, committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2040.
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Our Sustainability
Through superior technology, reusable clinical waste containers and recycling initiatives, our sharps and clinical waste solutions minimise CO2 burden.
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Sustainable Operations
Sharpsmart’s green commitments far surpass its reusable containment systems and robotic washing technology, learn more.
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Metal Recycling Solutions
Sharpsmart’s metal waste recycling offering is specifically designed to reduce carbon footprint in theatres and surgical areas.
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Case Study: Peterborough & Stamford
Two UK Healthcare facilities were able to drastically reduce their CO2 production and sharps waste volumes by switching to a reusable sharps container.
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Case Study: Royal Free
Royal Free Trust was able to reduce their CO2 emissions by over 150 tones and reduce sharps waste volume by over 25 tonnes – all by partnering with Sharpsmart.
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Case Study: Liverpool Women’s
The Trust was in need of a more sustainable sharps management program that impacted their CO2 emissions and environmental footprint
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Clinical Waste Optimisation
Introduce new waste streams and divert waste from carbon intensive outlets with the bag-to-bed system.
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Resource: Life Cycle Carbon Footprint
The article compares the global warming potential (GWP) of 40 acute NHS Trust hospitals converting from single-use to reusable sharps containers.
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Green Apple Environment Awards
Explore our partner’s success at the annual ‘Green Apple Environment Awards’, an international campaign designed to recognise environmental best practice.
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PR Study: Impact on Life Cycle Carbon Footprint
This study published in the British Medical Journal Open is an before/after intervention study to determine impact on life-cycle carbon footprint of sharps containers in 40 NHS trusts.
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Disposable vs Reusables
Learn more about reusable containers and how they improve safety in your facility and reduce your environmental impact.
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Exploring Environmental Impacts
Exploring the environmental impact of reusable vs. single-use sharps containers
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Excellence in Supply Awards
Sharpsmart Ltd recognised for sustainability credentials at NHS in the Midlands, excellence in supply awards.
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NHS Green Apple Success
NHS Trusts celebrate the success of their sustainability initiatives with the help of Sharpsmarts’ reusable sharps container system.
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The Compliant Approach to Net Zero
Sustainable waste management requires correct waste segregation to work – it’s a strategy that can help healthcare organisations reach Net Zero.
We work with teams within the four walls of the healthcare environment and use innovative solutions including blended learning to improve staff expertise around compliance with minimal behavioural change.
We’re here to help you navigate Net Zero.