Liverpool’s Aintree University Hospital has worked with B&M Waste Services to reduce its clinical waste output by over 28 tonnes a month, while around 300 tonnes of ‘offensive’ waste is collected annually and sent to landfill sites, where the methane produced is captured and re-used to generate electricity.
B&M was initially brought in to manage general waste, but its remit was soon extended to cover clinical and offensive waste segregation and disposal. It designed a bespoke waste compound, deployed the latest compactor technology, installed 450 bins, a confidential document shredding service, and dedicated battery collection and recycling, and trained over 500 domestic and clinical staff in waste segregation. The offensive waste stream’s introduction has not only reduced clinical waste output by nearly two-thirds, but also, with the staff training, has seen general waste increase, with over 80 per cent recycled in 2013. Previously, all this waste was sent direct to landfill. Due to segregation, and use of an onsite baler, 165 tonnes of cardboard was recycled last year, compared with none before 2011.
