We’re urging every member of staff to pause before you bin and make sure metal items, loose batteries and small battery‑powered devices are placed in the correct waste stream.
This reminder comes after recent safety observations at the health board’s clinical waste contractor facility, giving us the opportunity to prevent problems before they arise and keep our colleagues safe while services run smoothly.
Every correctly sorted battery or metal item shrinks our carbon footprint, reduces disposal costs and allows valuable materials to be transformed into new products.
Debbie Dickie, NHS Lanarkshire Technical Services Manager, said: “By taking just a few extra seconds to separate metal and battery waste from orange clinical waste bins, we protect our colleagues, avoid costly disruption to patient care and cut our carbon footprint. It’s a small action that makes a big difference.”
Disposing of waste via the clinical (orange) stream costs up to three times more than general waste, and audits show that around a third of NHS Scotland’s clinical waste could have gone in less expensive – and more environmentally friendly – streams.
To make correct sorting easy, a briefing pack and printable posters covering metal and battery waste are available on FirstPort. Managers are encouraged to use these materials at team huddles, safety briefs and inductions.
