Lifting The Lid On Forgotten Waste

Many NHS Trusts believe that the majority of their waste is recycled. In fact, more than half still goes to landfill or to be incinerated.

Why? Because when food and other organic matter is mixed with general waste it cannot be sorted. This means it cannot be recycled and has to be buried or burned – which creates more carbon emissions.

The Advetec team is on a mission to help NHS Trusts accelerate their green plans by halving the waste sent to landfill or for incineration. It’s a mission which starts with educating the healthcare sector about where they currently are and what more they can do.

Dr Stephen Wise, Advetec’s Chief Strategic Development Officer, says: “There’s so much discussion about the circular economy and the importance of reuse, reduce and recycle that many NHS Trusts feel they’re performing well in the green stakes. But the circular economy is only part of the solution.

“Across the UK, 11million tonnes of waste still go to landfill because it cannot be sorted. 47,000 tonnes of that waste comes from the NHS – a volume that goes on to generate a staggering 22,000 tonnes of CO2e. Those NHS Trusts that are trying to accelerate their zero landfill to waste objectives need to be aware, a very significant proportion of their waste is currently overlooked.”

He believes some of these misconceptions can be attributed to misleading data from waste handlers. “NHS Trusts are under pressure to show improvement so it’s only natural that the positive data about recycling initiatives provided by waste handlers, would be shared and celebrated. But it’s misleading; it only represents half of the picture. Trusts are operating with the mistaken belief that all their waste is being disposed of in the greenest way possible. That’s simply not the case.”

Advetec is the only on-site aerobic treatment for general and residual waste in the UK and its biotech solution removes the organic component of waste with a pioneering blend of bacteria, inside enclosed aerobic reactors. The only bi-products of the aerobic digestion process are carbon dioxide and water vapour and all that’s left behind is the inorganic fraction, such as plastics, which can be put to use in other ways.

Using this pioneering technology, NHS Trusts can reduce waste volumes by 70% and residual waste management costs by 50%. He adds: “As the organic component is removed from the waste, its volume and mass is significantly reduced. This means less waste collections, therefore lower costs, fewer waste collection trucks on the road and less road-related carbon emissions. Crucially – and this is perhaps the most significant point – it also means that less waste goes to landfill or for incineration.”

Advetec’s on-site aerobic reactors can reduce the carbon emissions or equivalent greenhouse gases of waste heading to landfill by 87% – showing the power of biotechnology as an alternative to more traditional methods. Landfill releases greater quantities of greenhouse gases such as methane as well as producing leachate which requires treatment and can lead to offensive odours that are harmful to the environment and public health. Sending waste to incineration means the energy can be recovered but, everything is combusted which leads to greater carbon emissions.

For NHS Trusts with an appetite to reduce non clinical spend, accelerate their zero to landfill objectives and deliver on their green plans – Dr Wise is keen to stress there is already a proven, available and highly affordable alternative – biotechnology.

He concludes: “The biggest obstacle standing in the way of the nation’s environmental performance is the belief that we are doing well. In order to make the radical changes needed to achieve net zero, we must address the fate of all waste, including non-recyclable. The environmental impact of this so-called ‘forgotten waste’ cannot be ignored – in addition to sustainability strategies focused on the circular economy, healthcare FMs and their outsourced providers must make an overall commitment to reducing the amount of waste that leaves site. Only when the two run in parallel, can NHS Trusts have a realistic chance of achieving net zero.”