A Surrey hospital has launched a dedicated recycling centre to reduce its carbon footprint and improve sustainability.
The new recycling centre is part of an initiative to make Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust a greener and more-sustainable place for staff, patients and visitors.
The centre now means it is easier for people to recycle at the trust’s main hospital site, a move which will more than double the current recycling levels.
Catherine Cooper, critical care outreach sister and sustainability ambassador for the trust, said, "It is brilliant that we now have this new recycling centre, which means we will be able to increase the amount we recycle hospital wide.
"Although recycling is important, we need to change people’s attitudes and ways of working, questioning themselves and the choices they make.
“Not only will this save the Trust money but will help to save the environment."
The recycling centre contains a specialist recycling bank from TerraCycle, a company which recycles ‘unrecyclable’ waste.
The trust will begin with crisp packets, but will have potential to increase this to many other items.
The proceeds from the move will then be put back into the trust’s official hospital charity.
As part of a wider initiative the trust now has over 60 sustainability champions from all sectors of the workforce, all working together to highlight the sustainability message.