Bottle recycling takes off in Essex

Basildon Hospital has improved its waste management systems, having successfully collected and compacted 40kg of plastic milk bottles to produce its first bale of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The achievement comes after staff in the restaurant and coffee lounge separated out all their bottles, which were then collected by the waste management team. The bales can now be sold, with a tonne of HDPE fetching around £330. The income will be used to help pay for the cost of disposing general waste, and means the trust will not have to pay to dispose of the HDPE material. Waste manager, Fraser Cutting, said: "We are also well on our way to producing bales of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) through collection of fizzy pop bottles and aluminium cans. Patients and staff can help to continue this excellent start by putting any empty washed-out drinks containers on the breakfast or dinner trolleys or in the recycling bins provided." The trust has set itself targets for achieving reductions in energy use and increasing recycling as part of its Sustainable Development Strategy. During 2010/11, 59% of waste was sent for recycling and it has set itself a target of recycling 65% of its waste by 2015.