Newcastle hospitals and SITA UK double recycling rate

Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust saw its year- on-year recycling totals increase from 326 tonnes in 2010-11 to 710 tonnes in 2011-12 following a new partnership with recycling and resource management company SITA UK.


Newcastle Hospitals have not sent any general waste to landfill since January 2011. Non-recyclable waste, once sent to landfill, is now used as feed stock for energy recovery.

As well as the environmental impact the new partnership is benefiting the Trust economically. There has been a 50% reduction in costs which has allowed the Trust to channel £250k of savings back into clinical care.

Although rates increased at all six of the Trust’s major healthcare sites, the introduction of green bins for mixed recyclable waste at the Royal Victoria Infirmary led to the the highest rise in recycling rates, increasing from a rate of 9% to 35%.

SITA UK, which began work with the Trust in January 2011, provide the collection and recycling of cardboard bales, mixed recyclables, confidential paper, batteries, electronics as well as scrap metal and glass.

Conor McGlone

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