East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

LOCATION Colchester General & Ipswich Hospitals, UK

INSTALL DATE May 2021 & November 2021

INDUSTRY Healthcare

Background

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust provides healthcare to 800,000 people living in East Anglia, UK. The Trust operates both the Colchester General and Ipswich Hospitals and is one of the largest Trusts in the East of England.

Prior to installing the WasteMaster technology, Colchester Hospital disposed of their food waste into the drains via macerators which had high water usage and required frequent maintenance. Ipswich Hospital had their food waste collected and taken to landfill.

The Trust sought a solution that was cost effective, reduced the water wastage  encountered by the macerators and could also provide long term sustainability. Sending food waste to landfill had environmental impacts and with the widely predicted legislation changes surrounding the use of macerators the Trust wanted to find a solution that was fit for purpose and fit for the future. 

The Trust looked at several options for managing food waste, but many posed a problem with either the need to store food waste, health and safety risks, frequent vehicle collections or simply not being environmentally friendly

Green Eco Technologies provided reduced energy and water consumption and allowed the waste to be re purposed for green energy. The WasteMaster provided reduced energy and water consumption and allowed the waste to be repurposed for green energy. Removing the waste disposal from the kitchen also eliminated any health and safety risks associated with disposal in the kitchen and food waste no longer had to be stored on site.

With the simplicity of installation and regular service provided by Green Eco Technologies, the WasteMaster was chosen as the perfect solution.

Quantifiable Results

 •  Savings of £21,600 per annum for the Trust.

•   East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust provides healthcare to 800,000 people living in East Anglia.

•   Colchester General will divert 80 tonnes of food waste from the sewer system.

•   Ipswich Hospital will divert 54 tonnes from landfill.

•   Zero water usage required in the use of the WasteMaster.

•   East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust now have live and accurate reporting of their food waste volumes which can be monitored and measured and fed into their annual ERIC reporting submissions.

Positive Outcomes

•  42 tonnes per annum of repurposed food waste residue sent to anaerobic digestion to create green energy.

•  Reduced carbon emissions by removing 54 tonnes of food waste from landfill.

•  Reduced greenhouse gas emissions as a result of fewer vehicles collecting food waste.

•  Clean, efficient, simple and sustainable food waste management process in place.

•  Unpleasant odour from storing food waste now removed.