WINNER - Repurposing of Cardboard: a pilot partnership between Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and ELITE Paper Solutions

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board

The NHS is responsible for 4% to 5% of the UK’s carbon emissions, and for 40% of public sector emissions. Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (CTMUHB) produces over 2,000 tonnes of waste annually. Much of this waste is recycled, but a significant amount is incinerated or sent to landfill.

CTMUHB proposed repurposing of NHS cardboard into pet bedding at a pilot site – the Royal Glamorgan Hospital (RGH), Llantrisant. CTMUHB Waste Management Department approached a range of stakeholders to address the issue, including management and staff at ELITE Paper Solutions. ELITE Paper Solutions are based in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, and are a local social enterprise supporting 70 disadvantaged and / or disabled staff and volunteers into training and local employment.

Through a series of Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, a process was put in place where ELITE is contracted to collect CTMUHB confidential waste bins and transfer them by van to the processing unit. At the same time, cardboard would be collected, transported, shredded and baled. Bales are purchased by the Dog & Mounted Section, South Wales Police for horse bedding. The cardboard is biodegradable within up to eight weeks of use.

To increase the volume of cardboard collected at the pilot site, informal conversations were held with porters and staff. The CTMUHB Communications team were approached with articles produced for the staff newsletter, Sharepoint and Facebook.

Consideration has been given through this unique partnership not only to the financial gain for CTMUHB, but also the social gain - including the reduced carbon footprint. Calculations using the UK Centre for Sustainable Health Care “Triple Bottom Line” equation suggests a significant annual reduction in the carbon footprint of 502.02 kgCO2e annually, and an annual financial saving to CTMUHB of £1550.

There are plans to scale up the work across the organisation – reaching both large sites, like General Hospitals, and small sites, such as GP Surgeries.