Recycle Week and Unblocktober Keep the Team Busy
October is always a busy time for the Sustainability Team, what with Unblocktober and Recycle Week, and this year was no different. Recycle week (16th-20th October) kicked off with an information stand manned by the sustainability team on level 6 and level 7. Chatting to patients and staff is a great way to disseminate awareness of good recycling behaviours- the team used Wrap and Recycle now’s resources to encourage people to think carefully before chucking rubbish away. Items like bleach bottles or metal food containers can still be recycled effectively if they are washed properly. We discussed using the dish water at the end of washing up to rinse these items. Without this care and attention, dirty waste could contaminate whole lorryfuls of recycling, making it unsuitable to be turned into something new. We’re hoping our conversations will prompt staff to ditch ‘wishcycling’ habits and become more in the know about recycling processes.
As this year’s recycle week theme focused on mixed capture, the team used the Sustainable Behaviour Forum to discuss how hard-to-recycle items like toothpaste tubes or blister pill packets can be disposed of responsibly. Plymouth High School students visited the site on the afternoon of Thursday 19th and picked nearly 5kgs worth of litter, and a Derriford Waste Management Solutions-led incinerator tour on the same day shed some light on the great recycling work that Graham and team carry out on a day-to-day basis. For just one example read our blog on plastic straw waste.
As Unblocktober draws to a close, the team uses what remains of the month to spread awareness around what should and shouldn’t be flushed down the drains- next time you consider putting a wet wipe down the toilet, spare a thought for the person who will have to come face to face with a fatberg and unblock the pipes beneath our feet…
