Clinical Waste Disposal Practice Reduces UCL Costs by 18%

A national industry body has recognised MITIE and University College London (UCL) for their ground breaking approach to clinical waste management in the university’s 23 laboratories. By diverting autoclaved clinical waste from high temperature incineration (HTI) to Energy-from-Waste treatment, savings of 18% in disposal cost per tonne and reduction of carbon emission by 27% per tonne were achieved.

MITIE won the award for innovative practice in Waste Management and Resource Recovery at the 2011 Environmental Excellence Awards, recently hosted by he Chartered Institution of Waste Management (CIWM). The award is the most coveted at the ceremony, as it recognises trend setters in the industry, working in new innovative ways to manage waste.

It is estimated that the NHS disposes of approximately 250,000 tonnes of clinical waste a year –1,000 times the amount of clinical waste generated by UCL – costing the tax payer an estimated £90 million a year. Mike Taylor, Managing Director of MITIE's waste and environmental business, said: "This award demonstrates how MITIE working in partnership with our clients can deliver significant results in terms of cost savings and reduced environmental impact  through best practice.

I believe that the replication of this innovative approach could generate significant emission reduction and cost savings for the NHS."