Tackling waste in a French hospital

© edwardolive, image #131031992, source: Fotolia.com

Information

Impacts:
Waste Materials
Sector:
Waste collection, treatment and disposal activities; materials recovery Education, health and social work
Investment cost:
Medium cost
Cost:
Medium cost
Size of company:
Medium (less than 250)
Advancement in applying resource efficiency measures:
Beginner

Much better diagnosis...

  • Combating food wastage saves 1.2 tonnes of waste
  • Small recycling investment avoids 1.6 tonnes of packaging

In 2011, the Saint-Thomas de Villeneuve Hospital in Brittany was given a troubling diagnosis. It was producing way too much waste. An expert carried out three site inspections to understand why and how waste was being produced. Two hotspots were identified where waste-reduction steps could yield quick results: the kitchen and the laundry. 

In the kitchen, a programme to combat food wastage called 'Trim Trax' was implemented. Every day, the quantities of food cooked, sold and thrown away are weighed and recorded. When the same menu is prepared again, the quantities are modified accordingly. In the laundry, it was decided to replace the 20-litre plastic detergent container, which were being thrown out once empty, with refillable 200-litre drums. 

Key benefits

Changes in the kitchen cut the amount of waste generated in the preparation of 12 500 meals by 1.2 tonnes. In addition, a selective sorting system was set up to separate and reuse packaging and cartons, for example by staff members moving house. The sorting system was subsequently extended to the entire hospital.

Meanwhile, the laundry managed to cut out 1.6 tonnes of packaging waste yearly thanks to the changes introduced, saving the hospital € 4000.

Ademe (2013), Réduction des déchets à l’hôpital de Bain-de-Bretagne (35), http://www.ademe.fr/sites/default/files/assets/documents/reduction-dech…

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