Sodexo recycles more than 700 tonnes of waste at local hospital

The company joined forces with Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, plus waste contractors GPT and GW Butler, and on March 15 held a Waste Awareness Day at the hospital to help reduce the negative impact that waste has on the environment and to increase its green contribution to the community it works in. The team was on hand throughout the day to talk to staff, visitors and patients. Leaflets and posters full of useful facts and figures, along with pint size desktop wheelie bins were given out. Sodexo achieved its goal by having teams remove food waste from the general mixed waste by making available dedicated food bins with biodegradable corn starch bags, which are available across the site. Food waste caddies were also rolled out into Sodexo and Trust offices to capture lunchbox food waste. The majority of non-food items are recyclable but food contamination makes it hard to segregate, it said, but by removing food waste at the point of disposal, allowed the remaining non-food waste to be placed in clear bags, ready for recycling. By recycling 92% of general mixed waste, a significant tonnage is diverted away from landfill. The remaining waste is taken to a materials recycling facility for sorting and segregation to achieve more than 90% recyclability rate. All captured food waste is sent to aerobic digestion where 100% is recovered to make a soil conditioner, which is used as fertiliser. Claire Atkins Morris, waste and environment manager for Sodexo Healthcare, said: "By changing the way we manage waste we can identify opportunities and realise cost efficiencies through avoiding landfill tax, which is set to rise significantly over the coming years. Instead of waste being just waste, it is now seen as a vital resource and considerably helps towards adding value for Sodexo and the Trust. "The best thing about this project has been the way everyone has co-operated to deliver this fantastic achievement. We also acknowledge the magnificent support, drive and passion of the teams who have delivered this from the highest level to the front line." Jandi Pearman, sustainability manager at Queen's Hospital, said: "Reducing food waste in the hospital environment can be challenging, and this project has supported our staff in a bid to boost recycling rates through increased awareness. We're now in a better position to be sustainable and reduce reliance on landfill or macerators for food waste." Increasing recycling levels, whether through recovery of food waste or recycling materials such as plastic, metal, and paper, is a top priority for Sodexo and is part of its ambitious sustainability strategy to 2020 – the Better Tomorrow Plan.