Sustainable procurement, circular
economy and waste
Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when our demand for resources exceeds what earth can regenerate in that year. In 2024, Global Earth Overshoot Day is 1 August, a day earlier than in 2023.
For the UK, the picture is more worrying. In 2024, the UK’s Earth Overshoot Day was 3 June. The current level of consumption of materials is not sustainable and is the root cause of the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
We aim to reduce the impact that our use of resources has on the environment through adopting circular economy principles, fostering a culture of stewardship and working with other UK health services to maximise our contribution to reducing supply chain emissions to net-zero by 2045.
What did we do in 2023/2024 to reduce the environmental impact and the quantity of the goods and services we buy?
The Procurement team participate in the National Green Theatres Programme and are involved in the implementation of multiple separate actions to ensure more environmentally sustainable theatres, such as, reviewing the use of re-usable devices and reduction of wastage from incorrect medical examination glove usage.
Utilising the Scottish Government Sustainability Procurement Tool to identify targeted contracts to influence sustainability requirements, the Procurement Team has prioritised the following areas for action: recyclates and general waste, managed transport service (aim for a reduction in CO2 emissions) custom packs (review of the materials used) and patient engagement apps (reduce patient journeys).
What are we doing in 2024/2025 to reduce the environmental impact of the goods and services we buy?
In the next year, NHS Golden Jubilee will have an obligation to publish a new 3 year Procurement Strategy which must include how procurement will impact in terms of climate, sustainability and community benefit. This will be followed by an annual progress report. Additionally, procurement Key Performance Indicators will be monitored as part of the NHS Golden Jubilee Anchor Strategy – these will focus on community benefit.
From 2024/25 onwards we will progress the following:
- Embed sustainability requirements within local tendering activity by ensuring that these are built into contract selection and/or award criteria and ensure whole lifecycle costing methodology is used in commercial criteria where appropriate.
- Ensure all Procurement Officers within Procurement have undertaken Procurement Climate Literacy Training and are aware of Scottish Government Sustainable Procurement Tools.
- Ensure sustainability is an agenda topic during the Key Supplier Performance Meetings. This will allow particular ideals such as packaging and carbon footprint reduction to be monitored and identify opportunities for improvement.
We want to reduce the amount of waste we produce and increase how much of it is recycled.
The table below sets out information on the waste we produce and its destination for the last 3
years:
| Type | 2021/22 (tonnes) | 2022/23 (tonnes) | 2023/24 (tonnes) | Percentage change - 2021/22 to 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waste to landfill | 10.60 | 24.60 | 46.19 | 335.75% |
| Waste to incineration | 280.45 | 275.75 | 263.87 | -5.91% |
| Recycled waste | 141.43 | 113.15 | 153.54 | 8.56% |
| Food waste | 16.89 | 25.90 | 29.99 | 24.28% |
| Clinical waste | 373.79 | 392.26 | 407.17 | 8.93% |
Table 16
In summary reference to table 16:
- We have no direct control to the amount of waste which is sent to landfill and incineration. However, during 2024/2025, a new tender is planned which will have a contractual requirement to send less than 5% of our residual waste to landfill.
- Recycled waste includes dry mixed recycling, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), confidential paper, washroom hygiene, glass and wood.
- The increase to food and clinical waste is reflective of the increased activity and patient procedures year on year.
We have set targets to reduce the amount of waste we produce and the tables below provide
information on our performance against those targets:
Reduce domestic waste by a minimum of 15%, and greater where possible compared to
2012/2013 – by 2025 (baseline 2021/22)
| Target - reduce domestic waste by | 67.41 (tonnes) |
| Performance - domestic waste reduced by | +35.22 (tonnes) |
| Outcome | Not achieved yet |
| Further reduction required | 102.63 (tonnes) |
Table 17
Ensure that no more than 5%, and less where possible, of all domestic waste is sent to landfill – by 2025
| Target - reduce waste sent to landfill by | 1.63 (tonnes) |
| Performance - waste sent to landfill reduced by | +21.96 (tonnes) |
| Outcome | Not achieved yet |
| Further reduction required |
24.23 (tonnes) |
Table 18
Reduce the food waste produced by 33% compared to 2015/16 – by 2025 (baseline 2021/22)
| Target - reduce food waste by | 5.57 (tonnes) |
| Performance - food waste reduced by | +4.10 (tonnes) |
| Outcome | Not achieved yet |
| Further reduction required |
9.67(tonnes) |
Table 19
Ensure that 70% of all domestic waste is recycled or composted – by 2025
| Target - recycle or compost | 210.25 (tonnes) |
| Performance - recycled or composted | 174.53(tonnes) |
| Outcome | Not achieved yet |
| Further reduction required | 42.51 (tonnes) |
Table 20
What did we do in 2023/2024 to reduce our waste?
In recent years to reduce we undertook a programme of staff training on segregation of waste.
As noted in previous sections, our increased activity including that associated with the new theatre
expansion (opening in 2024) will be contributing to increases in clinical waste.
However, we must continue to strive for high levels of recycling within our waste segregation systems and processes.
We will continue with staff training on the segregation of waste. We will also review the design of the waste segregation systems and processes to make it as easy as possible for staff, visitors and patients to segregate waste at source. This will include reviewing the positioning and labelling of bins and waste stations for clinical, domestic and food waste streams.
What are we doing in 2024/2025 to reduce our waste?
NHS Golden Jubilee has recently established a waste management group (operational) and waste and energy group. The purposes of these groups will be to focus on specific actions in line with the Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy for Scotland.
The group will establish a very specific action plan for the Board, taking guidance from national documents such as NHSScotland Waste Management Guidance Scottish Health Technical Note 03-01 (SHTN03-01) and the Waste Management Action Plan which is due to be revised for this incoming year.
Currently the Board is focusing on waste reduction and segregation, and in particular segregation of clinical waste. It was recognised that approximately 33% of waste deposited in orange clinical waste bags is not actual clinical waste. Working alongside clinical and infection control colleagues, we will progress this, and work to develop recycling stations in these areas.
NHS Golden Jubilee is also fully engaged with the Green Theatres programme within which it is recognised that there are potentially large gains, both environmentally and financially to be gained from the segregation of theatre waste, with a particular view to ensuring that only clinical waste is dealt with through that waste stream.
Training and Education have been identified as a key requirement on site, and NHS Golden Jubilee have engaged with the Sustainability Manager at NHS Scotland Assure to provide general overview training to clinical and non-clinical staff.
More sessions are planned in the future to take advantage of an e-learning module which is in development to cover this area.
The new non-domestic waste contract is currently going through the tender process. NHS Golden Jubilee recognises that there is wider opportunity within this contract in terms of waste segregation, in particular the identification of a high grade non-infectious plastic. We will look to engage with contractors who are able to accept this waste, recognising the importance the volume of material currently going through waste streams.
NHS Golden Jubilee is also developing a new food waste policy and will work alongside the Catering Expert Services Group on this, as well as NHS Scotland Assure, Scottish Government and Zero Waste Scotland.
We will investigate new innovations in food ordering and disposal options. However, the focus will be on food waste reduction and engagement with clinical teams and ward staff to review menu and ordering processes.
Where possible, NHS Golden Jubilee will engage with Commodity Advisory Panels about encouraging sustainable procurement and recognising the aims and ambitions of national groups for environmental input within these areas.
We are keen to be involved in potential projects looking at circular solutions, addressing the way in which goods and services are procured and managed, whilst appreciating that much of this work is national and sits within the wider Circular Economy Procurement Programme.
The Central Sterile Processing Department (CSPD) recognises the pressure linked to the continued use of single use medical devices (the material management within these and also potential issues with regards to scarcity of raw materials and issue with supply chain). We see these areas as critical going forward and will work alongside various projects to encourage and develop alternative solutions and change the thinking on the way we operate in the future. We need to do this to address scope 3 emissions, which are emissions as a result of activities from assets not owned or controlled by NHS Golden Jubilee.
