Estates and Facilities manage the disposal of all the waste produced by the Trust.

We operate zero to landfill regarding waste disposal practices, meaning 100% of our waste is either recycled or has the energy recovered from it. Between 2022 to 2023, we recycled 32% of our waste and 66% had the energy recovered from it. 

Over the next six months, the Sustainability team will review the waste practices within office buildings with a view to trialling separate bins for dry mixed recycling and non-recyclable waste. Additionally, we are currently exploring the possibility of provided food waste collections to our sites with food provision. 

We hope to achieve an increase in our recycling rate by 5% year on year with hopes that we can achieve 50% of our waste being recycled by 2026. 

For further information, contact sustainability@merseycare.nhs.uk. 

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We are committed to low carbon, sustainable healthcare. We recognise the relationship between our impact on the environment and the impact of climate change on public health and the services we provide.

To meet our responsibilities we use environmentally responsible compostable film when sending out copies of MC Magazine. It uses less carbon to produce, reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill, reduces the levels of pollution in the air, groundwater and soil and provides the earth with life promoting nutrients.

It is made from potato starch and is 100% compostable and biodegradable. It can be placed into home composting bins, food waste caddies and green waste for collection. In a well-maintained compost unit with exposure to air it should compost within 12 months, converting to CO¬2, water and biomass, with no contaminants left behind.

It is not intended for landfill (where it could be buried) and is not able to be recycled.

Our MC Magazine is printed on an FSC paper sourced from responsible managed forests. You can find out more on FSC’s website.

As a large organisation, the Trust has a responsibility to undertake the actions and investments to provide sustainable healthcare, both now and in the future.

The Trust is responding to the ‘Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service’ report, as well as the Greener NHS Campaign. As part of our journey to net zero and sustainability, we have a timeline to align with Greener NHS guidance.

We are working hard to meet the Government’s target for the NHS of net zero carbon by 2045.

  • General waste (this is what you put in your black bin bag).

  • Hazardous waste (sharps bins – sometimes referred to as clinical waste).

  •  Offensive waste (this is the black and yellow (tiger) striped bags)

  • Infectious waste (this is the orange bag).

  • Confidential waste (anything that contains person-identifiable information (whether it is relating to service users or staff or is Trust business sensitive (e.g. contracts, proprietary third party supplier information, etc)

  • Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

  • Special waste (this is waste that gives off ozone depleting gases, i.e. batteries, lamps, fluorescent tubes and fridges).

  • Metal waste

General waste – Our Trust has an arrangement with a contractor who sort the black bin bag waste off-site into the following streams:

  • Cans
  • Plastic
  • Paper
  • Cardboard
  • Batteries

As part of the Trust’s assurance that this is carried out, site visits have been undertaken and monthly reports are received.

IT equipment – a contract is in place for all IT equipment recycled via the Service Level Agreement with St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) – a contract is in place for all WEEE to be recycled.

Special waste – this is collected and recycled by a specialist contractor.

Toner cartridges – these are collected by an external contractor for recycling.

Confidential waste – all shredded confidential waste is recycled by the contractor.

Old mobile phones – collected by an external contractor who recycles.

Cooking oil – All used cooking oil is collected from Hollins Park kitchens by a contractor who recycles this into animal feed and engine oil.

Wood and metal – this is stored in a separate skip and recycled by the contractor.

The average total of waste material recycled by the Trust for 18/19 is 98%. This has made a significant contribution to the Trusts carbon footprint.

The safe disposal and recycling of waste is everybody’s responsibility and we would welcome any ideas to improve what we do.

If your department or ward is doing anything at the moment to help recycle please let us know… we may be able to roll out your idea to the rest of the Trust.

You will need to complete a condemnation request form.