Congratulations to our teams who came home with a GOLD and BRONZE award at the recent Excellence in Waste Management Awards – which recognise sustainable waste management and innovation across the NHS.

The Team won the GOLD in Best Reduction of Carbon Emissions from Waste Award for their work with clinical waste company Veolia, meaning we now use an energy recovery facility in Sheffield to dispose of infectious and pharmaceutical waste.

This saves 198 tonnes of Carbon emissions when compared to the high temperature incineration. The local facility will also reduce the annual mileage that waste needs to travel further reducing carbon emissions.

The judges praised their ‘exceptional’ efforts in cutting carbon emissions from clinical waste disposal.

The team also picked up BRONZE in the Best Reduction in Food Waste of the Year Award following a national trial across selected wards at the hospital, which measured the amount of patient meals that had been served, the waste left on plates, and the CO2 value of this waste. Through the trial a saving of £89,000 per year was identified through reducing the number of unserved ‘just in case’ meals, which also reduces the CO2 impact and supports the drive for NHS organisations to be Net Zero for Carbon Dioxide production. Working in partnership with patient catering, our catering partner, Sodexo, dietetics colleagues and the Royal Academy of Improvement, they have also provided a ‘missed meal’ order service which extends the opportunity for patients to get a hot meal by six hours a day.

Judges also highlighted the importance of staff engagement as a cornerstone of the project’s success, noting positive feedback from both staff and patients regarding the new meal provision, and that this innovative approach not only reduces food waste but also enhances patient satisfaction and operational efficiency.