News and progress

Achieving the Carbon Trust waste standard

Our achievements in improving the way we manage waste have been awarded the coveted Carbon Trust Standard for Waste, making us only the second NHS Trust (and the first outside of London) to achieve this award.

The award follows an audit by the Carbon Trust who recognised our commitment to improving our environmental sustainability, and our work on programmes to reduce, reuse and recycle more of the waste we produce.

Projects include:

• the first NHS Trust to switch to reusable sharps boxes in 2004
• diverting all our waste away from landfill since January 2011
• breaking down food waste in special ‘digesters’
• recycling paper, plastic and metal from our healthcare processes
• baling our cardboard on-site to generate an income
• reducing the amount of waste we produce in relation to the number of patients we see.

Find out more information about the Carbon Trust Waste Standard.

Investment in better lighting, building management and power systems

Through funding obtained from the public sector decarbonisation scheme we’ve been able to make a significant investment in new LED lighting, upgrades to building management systems and solar power.

Sustainable principles (known as Passivhaus) will be adopted into all new build designs, for example super-insulated walls; efficient, low energy equipment and lighting; the integration of renewables such as heat pumps and solar PV. This will enable us to achieve the lowest possible ‘in use carbon emissions’.

Reducing waste

Waste and recycling is an integral part of our climate emergency strategy and the work of the sustainability team. We have committed to generate less waste; reuse and recycle more, and ensure unavoidable waste is disposed of in the most sustainable way.

This challenge can only be met with the help of all staff and we’re working with colleagues across wards and clinical areas to carry out waste audits and provide more information and support about appropriate waste segregation and disposal.

Tree planting

We have been busy planting trees at the Freeman and RVI, to combat climate change, clean the air, provide oxygen and creating a nice environment for staff, patients and visitors.

Gloves off!

Gloves are an important part of personal protective equipment but the increase in use throughout the Covid pandemic meant that additional amount of gloves used at Newcastle Hospitals was equal to 21 tonnes in weight – the same as 16 Mini Coopers or one wind turbine!

Gloves are one of the most common plastic items used in healthcare and should only be worn when a risk to health or safety is present.

Good hand washing is a highly effective way of protecting staff and patients from viruses and bacteria, which means glove use can be safely reduced when not required. 

We are supporting colleagues to now only use gloves when necessary.