Positively Green

Over the past couple of months, the catering team at UHP has completely overhauled the patient food waste process in our ward kitchens. These changes help us to meet legal requirements, cut our carbon emissions, and support the NHS commitment to sustainability.

Why did we change our approach?

Recent legal changes have meant that food waste can no longer be sent to landfill or disposed of in macerators. To comply with the new legislation and reduce our carbon footprint, all ward macerators have now been removed, meaning food waste is now properly captured, measured, and sent through a sustainable disposal route.

What happens to our food waste?

Each ward now separates food waste into clear categories: plated waste, trolley waste, liquid waste, spoilage, and unserved portions. Once collected, the waste is:

• Weighed using digital scales

• Recorded in Synbiotix for NHS ERIC reporting

• Transferred to Bridge House in secure, lined containers

• Collected by our contractor through DWMS

• Sent to the Langage Anaerobic Digestion Facility, where it is turned into fuel

• Zero Landfill - All food waste is diverted from landfill, supporting legal compliance and reducing carbon emissions

Anaerobic Digestion uses bacteria to break down organic matter into a methane rich gas. Production waste from the dairy products factory, and food waste from local businesses (including UHP, schools and restaurants) is utilised as feedstock for the Anaerobic Digestion plant. The plant produces electricity and heat for use in the dairy products factory, and residual biofertiliser is applied to the farmland to grow forage for the Jersey Herd. The milk returns to the products factory for processing, and the cycle begins again. Any surplus electricity generated is exported to the National Grid - The Langage Anaerobic Digestion plant can power up to 500 households! This process creates a closed-loop system where our food waste becomes renewable energy instead of contributing to landfill emissions. What’s more, we stock Langage ice cream on our wards- a truly circular, local system.

Why does accurate weighing of the food waste matter?

Recording waste by category helps us:

• Improve menu planning and patient experience of mealtimes 

• Understand the cost of unserved meals

• Reduce over‑ordering at ward level

• Meet NHS waste reporting requirements

• Track progress against waste reduction and financial saving targets 

Additional Sustainability Practices?

• Packaging from spoiled items is separated and disposed of correctly

• Chilled items that are still in date and safe are returned to reduce unnecessary waste

• Staff and visitor food waste is excluded to ensure accurate clinical data

• Reusable food waste boxes are cleaned and rotated daily to minimise single‑use materials