Updated guidance to be ‘first port of call’

Here, one of the key authors, Mick Fanning, associate consultant at environmental, energy, and sustainability consultancy, WSP Environment and Energy, gives an idea of the scope of the new guidance, with input from Lorraine Holme, programme manager, Sustainable Development Department, at the Department of Health’s Health Estates & Facilities Division.

The revised Manual has been produced with the full support of the regulators – the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive – and the Devolved Administrations, as a complete reference document to help organisations with activities or responsibilities in this area understand the complexities of waste, environmental, and transport legislation; to aid compliance with regulation, and to facilitate better waste management overall. The first edition was produced in 2006, and, although not greeted with resounding applause, did do “what it said on the lid” – it offered a route to “safe management” of waste. The first step in this journey was to encourage waste producers to move away from waste disposal towards waste management – as being safer and more efficient in terms of resources. The idea behind this approach was that money saved through reducing wastage could be diverted toward more direct patient care services. This second edition, issued in March this year, takes the next step in the journey of understanding waste as a resource. It is designed to help users to appreciate how waste can be prevented in the first instance by adopting the hierarchy of waste approach, i.e. to reuse, recover, and recycle. It also puts emphasis on the benefits of using the offensive waste stream, introduced in the first edition. (more detail is given below). This can be the stepping-stone of motivation to give waste producers the confidence to venture into more innovative approaches, such as waste to energy solutions. There are, of course, other issues relating to the Coalition Government that have a bearing on the Safe management of healthcare waste: Zero waste – The Coalition Government has an ambition to be the “greenest” Government ever. The new administration is also well aware of the pollution, damage, cost, and negative impacts, of waste generated in England, and indeed in the UK overall. Something needs to be done, and done now. To the forwardthinkers there are plenty of opportunities – through better procurement and resource management; contract specifications that are more challenging; technology; obtaining grants and funds to innovate, and staff training and awareness etc. All are covered in the new Manual.

The concept of ‘zero waste’