General waste and recycling in healthcare facilities
General waste is the largest type of waste produced in our healthcare facilities. Large amounts of recyclable material ends up in the general waste bins. This makes it an important area to consider when trying to reduce the amount of waste.
Increasing the amount of recycling facilities helps to:
- reduce costs
- recycle valuable resources
- improve environmental impact
Remember: if you haven’t measured it, you can't manage it.
Related topic
- Measuring, monitoring and benchmarking waste in healthcare facilities
- Waste Reduction training
Online training on healthcare specific waste reduction and recycling good practices is now available on HSELanD.
Targets for Ireland
The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy is Ireland’s roadmap for waste planning and management.
This Plan moves focus away from waste disposal and looks instead to how we can preserve resources by creating a circular economy. A circular economy means resources are re-used or recycled as much as possible, and the generation of waste is minimised
The Public Sector (including Health) target obligations for waste are:
- Reduce waste sent to landfill to 10% by 2035
- Recycle 70% of packaging waste by 2030
This Infographic shows the key actions and targets in the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy.
Resources
Best practice
Best Practice on Maximising Recycling and Reducing Landfill (PDF, 2.98MB, 5 pages)
Best Practice on Bin Placement (PDF, 1.38MB, 2 pages)
Resource efficiency for community nursing units and nursing homes (PDF, 2.1MB, 20 pages)
Signage
Check the bin label (PDF, 2.3 MB, 3 pages)
New Bin Stickers (PDF, 1.7 MB, 3 pages)
Case Studies
Waste and Sustainability Officers
There are 5 regional Waste & Sustainability Officers who are available to provide support and guidance to larger healthcare facilities in the area of Waste Prevention.
Waste & Sustainability Officer – Dublin Mid Leinster
Ken Hyland
Waste & Sustainability Officer – HSE West
Ruairi Keane
Waste & Sustainability Officer – Dublin North East
Robert Sweeney
Waste & Sustainability Officer – HSE South
Aileen Fitzgerald
Environmental Services Officer - HSE South East
Martina Hunt