Royal Orthopaedic Hospital
Birmingham’s Royal Orthopaedic Hospital was the first hospital to introduce Every Can Counts.
- The hospital is working to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill and sees Every Can Counts as a key part of efforts to encourage its 900 staff to recycle more.
- After a small scale trial Every Can Counts collection boxes have been installed in the staff restaurant, offices, several wards, the treatment centre and the nurses’ home.
- An Every Can Counts can crusher has been installed in the Outpatients department to collect the cans used by patients in the waiting area.
Promotion
- To launch the drinks can recycling programme the hospital held an awareness event, with the Every Can Counts team on hand to answer any questions.
- Promotions on the day included fun competitions, with the team giving spot prizes to help communicate the benefits of drinks can recycling.
- Ongoing promotion includes using Every Can Counts posters and table talkers across the site. The recycling programme has also featured in the hospital’s own newsletter ‘Orthello’, which is issued to staff and patients
Results
The initial trial of five branded collection points was expanded to 15 within six months.
Introducing the can crusher to outpatients has meant that cans collected in this busy area are not contaminated by other packaging waste, thus overcoming a major problem in an area of high drinks can consumption.
Within its first year Every Can Counts has quickly become established across the hospital, with a noticeable increase in staff awareness of, and participation in recycling activities.
