Grundon rolls out new clinical waste containers to help improve sustainability

Grundon Waste Management is rolling out a new range of carbon-cutting clinical waste containers to help customers improve their sustainability credentials.

From April, it is swapping single-use clinical waste bins made from virgin plastic with ones made from responsibly-sourced post-consumer recycled plastic – a move that could potentially help customers cut their equivalent carbon footprint by up to 50 per cent a year.

Typical Grundon healthcare customers include NHS Trusts, private hospitals and clinics, research and development laboratories, universities, GP surgeries, veterinary clinics and dental surgeries.

Shauna Costley, Grundon’s Clinical Compliance & Sustainability Manager, said: “In 2021, we supplied over 35,000 clinical waste bins to our healthcare customers and, because these have to be sent for High Temperature Energy Recovery Facility, that’s a lot of virgin plastic going to waste.

“Finding a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative which meets all the necessary clinical waste regulations and does not compromise integrity in any way, has been at the top of our agenda for some time. The fact we can now supply fully-compliant containers made from mixed recycled plastic is a big step forward and one we believe will appeal to customers as they strive to reach their own environmental targets.” 

Manufactured by Daniels Healthcare using state-of-the-art technology, the WIVA Infinity range is the world’s first UN-approved clinical waste container made from Post-Consumer Recycled Resin (PCR).

Initial customer trials have already been taking place and Costley says the feedback has been “very positive”.

There are hopes that the wider introduction of the new bins will mirror results from The Netherlands and Belgium, where evidence suggested customers who switched to the WIVA Infinity range, could reduce their equivalent CO₂ footprint by 50 per cent.

Grundon will supply the containers in 30 litre (maximum filling weight 12kg) and 60 litre (maximum filling weight 15kg) sizes, with different coloured lid options to facilitate correct waste disposal, in line with HTM07-01 Guidance.