The NuGreen 4 Stage Approach

The  are our local ICB, and we were proud to implement our 4 Stage Approach to help them reduce the costs and carbon emissions associated with their waste and resource use. We focussed on the primary care sector of the ICB, by working with GP surgeries in the area.

We started by auditing their waste and surveying the sites, analysed all the data to find key impact areas, optimised their sites for sustainability in tandem with staff training, and finally reaudited to track the progress. The project saved the ICB an average of £529 and 519kg CO2e per tonne of clinical waste!

Here is what Sarah Hopkins, Clinical Lead for Primary Care for Green NHS, said about the project:

'NuGreen completed a waste audit at our practice. It required very little input from practice staff and caused no disruption. We have saved hundreds of pounds as well as reduced our carbon emissions, from learning which waste bags are right for us.'

Channel Coward, Practice Nurse, also said:

"The project has improved our use of waste streams. Staff appear to be segregating waste better. Staff have commented how the posters help with knowing what waste to put where."

"The numbers speak for themselves"

Here is what Andrew Woodhead, Practice Manager for Central Lakes Medical Group, Ambleside said about the project:  

How did the project make a difference?

"Waste wasn't really a topic in the practice before. There were some things that some people did to try and reduce their impact, but this project has massively raised awareness and agency for individuals to make a difference. It's not unusual now for discussions to be heard about the most appropriate stream for waste and staff are pushing for more/bigger bins to help use the correct stream to maximise recycling and reduce waste, CO2 and cost."

How did the project benefit staff/ stakeholders?

"The project made all practice staff aware of the correct streams that they should be using and the impact of not using these. It raised awareness of what could be recycled, transformed the way the practice works using offensive vs infectious waste, and has given individuals control and the impetus to make a difference with the decisions they are making. Furthermore, it has also simplified things; posters about which waste goes where now make sense, rather than being a confusing, busy, and not really shedding any light."

Any other comments welcome

"This has been a really great project to have been involved in. Many thanks! We will continue to work to improve things based on the interventions that you made."

With huge thanks to Allison Sathiyanathan, ICB Net Zero Project Manager, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board for helping co-ordinate the project.

We partnered with University Hospitals Morecambe Bay Foundation Trust to help them build an understanding of their waste and resource use. We focussed on their three acute sites in Lancaster, Kendal, and Barrow in Furness. Over a month, we audited the clinical and domestic waste of every ward and department in each hospital. The project gave them invaluable insight into their flow of materials.

Here is what Clare Grootendorst, UHMBT Waste Manager, had to say about our partnership:

'Waste is an important aspect of any healthcare facility, and ensuring we are doing what is best for the Trust, our patients, staff, and the planet is paramount. We are excited to be working with NuGreen, a local company to Morecambe Bay on our journey to analyse the waste we are producing. The information gathered will help the Trust to improve its segregation, sustainability and can be applied to future innovations in waste management.'

We are delighted to have been appointed to work with Synnovis and Integral to support the sustainable optimisation of their Blackfriars laboratory in London.

Synnovis is a partnership between SYNLAB UK & Ireland, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. 

The Blackfriars state-of-the-art ‘hub’ laboratory looks to bring cutting-edge instrumentation, technology and innovation together under one roof. The hub is one of the largest, purpose-built pathology laboratories in the UK, designed to meet the needs of modern-day healthcare services.

NuGreen are working to support the Blackfriars site in a comprehensive waste strategy and ongoing supply chain analysis to keep making valuable carbon reductions. Optimised bin placement to support segregation of waste in phase one will lead to the best opportunities to recycle as much material as possible, we will support them with training and education and look to provide various pilot studies with them to support innovation and sustainable development.

Crossbank Dental Care are a dental practice based in Kendal, Cumbria, who have a passion for delivering high quality patient care and driving sustainable dentistry. They wanted to better understand their flow of materials and find ways to cut their costs and carbon emissions. We helped the practice improve segregation rates and drive material efficiencies as well as support them in their sustainability journey.

We are proud to support a small local business in their efforts to make healthcare a greener industry!