Causeway Hospital wants your help to go green

TO make recycling successful, Causeway Hospital needs the co-operation of people who go into the hospital to visit patients or those attending hospital appointments to recycle paper, cardboard, plastic and metal.

The hospital is asking everyone to look out for the recycling bins which clearly show what can be disposed of in them.

Causeway Hospital is going green this year due to the introduction of a new domestic waste contract with Sita.

The new contract now means that all waste will be recycled, reused or compressed into fuel pellets for burning.

At present the hospital dumps on average 18 tonnes per month of domestic waste in landfill which is the equivalent of filling approximately 1200 wheelie bins with rubbish.

In Causeway Hospital the cardboard recycled there each month saves approximately 34 trees.

Cara Browne, Recycling Manager for the Northern Trust is responsible for ensuring that the Trust complies with legislation and that the Trust reduces its impact on the environment in a cost-effective way.

The past 10 years has seen unprecedented and rapid change in waste management policy and practice.

Cara said: “Waste is something that affects us all and is everybody’s responsibility as we all decide what goes in our bins.

“I’m really pleased with the efforts to recycle in Causeway Hospital which not only helps save the environment but allows the money saved on waste disposal at landfill to be redirected back into patient care.

“We’ve also asked staff to think about what they do with the waste they throw away on the wards and offices.

“Staff are encouraged to recycle paper, envelopes, toner cartridges, food, batteries, clothes, basically anything they use during work“.

If you are recycling at home remember the waste hierarchy:

Eliminate – avoid producing waste in the first place;

Reduce – minimise the amount of waste you produce;

Re-use – use items as many times as possible;

Recycle – recycle what you can only after you have re-used it;

Dispose – dispose of what’s left in a responsible way.