East Cheshire NHS Trust has outsourced all of its waste management to SRCL. In a predictably upbeat news release, it is reported that the Trust has become the first organisation to sign up to SRCL’s new Integrated Waste Stream Solutions (IWSS) offer to take a more sustainable approach to its waste management.

The contract covers the Trust’s main hospital in Macclesfield, as well as eight further hospitals and clinics across Cheshire and sees SRCL managing all clinical and domestic waste disposal and mixed dry recycling including materials such as cardboard, paper, waste electronics and IT equipment, and glass. Of course, that still isn’t a total waste management package but it is certainly a great start and should substantially reduce waste management costs.

Though the report includes a substantial flimflam about the importance of SRCL’s endeavors in the reduction of hospital acquired infections, it is a shame that there is no mention of materials and resource recovery.

What is lacking is a fully integrated approach to waste management since it is unlikely that SRCL will manage wastes at ward and department level, a key task that will be left to the hospital ancillary and support teams or to contract cleaning services such as those provided by ISS.

Contracts to manage all, or most, hospital waste streams is a considerable advance on the traditional model. However, it simply does not go far enough and there exists a considerable advantage in integrating cleaning and hygiene services, and portering services with waste management activities.

That must surely be the next step.

Remember that you read it here first.