How this NHS Trust Uses Procurement to Eliminate Waste

By reducing waste through procurement, organisations can unlock several benefits including greater efficiency and lower costs.

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare (SASH) NHS Trust continues to showcase its commitment to enhancing its procurement operations and the NHS’ ambition to achieve net zero by implementing the use of reusable sharps containers.

The initiative forms part of SASH’s ambition to minimise plastic across the trust and supports objectives in its Green Plan aimed at reducing waste.

SASH has already saved around £23,000 (US$28,500) in procurement and waste management costs and streamlined operations by eliminating the need to distribute 36,000 single-use sharps across 90 locations. 

Lee Edwards, Head of Procurement at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, explains: “Making changes like these can be a challenge, but we have great working relationships within the trust so when staff understood the reasoning and process, it was easy to bring them along on the journey and get it across the line. 

"Our new Waste Manager really drove the implementation, so much so people are now looking at other changes that would deliver on all the same benefits.”

NHS Net Zero commitment 

The NHS net zero commitment strives to make the NHS the first net-zero health system by focusing on reducing carbon emissions from transport, buildings, waste and medical supply chains. 

It features several main objectives:

• Net zero emissions by 2040 (in the emissions the NHS controls directly - the NHS Carbon Footprint) 
• Net zero emissions by 2045 for the emissions the NHS can influence (NHS Carbon Footprint Plus)
• Care without Carbon, an engagement programme developed by Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust to deliver sustainable healthcare 

Procurement plays a vital role, with all suppliers expected to meet net-zero standards by 2030.

The NHS implements this long-term strategy by using low-carbon medicines and medical equipment, electrifying fleets and enhancing energy efficiency.

By integrating sustainability into key decision-making, the NHS strives to reduce environmental impact while improving public health. 

SASH continues to work alongside Care Without Carbon to drive sustainability. The trust has already made significant progress, including:

• 100% renewable energy across all sites
• 150 trees planted in the last year
• All nurses’ uniforms made from recycled plastic bottles
• More than 30% reduction in total carbon emissions 
• 10 electric charging points at East Surrey Hospital
• Plans for a woodland area at East Surrey Hospital site

Michael Brownjohn, Waste Manager at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, explains: “At SASH, we are committed to reducing our use of plastic and the amount of plastic waste we generate as set out in our Green Plan. Our new reusable sharps containers support us to streamline processes and pathways, to reduce waste and create a more sustainable NHS.”

The trial

The trial to implement reusable clinical waste containers involved a six-month pilot in theatres, the emergency department and wards to assess financial, carbon and plastic savings.

Suppliers conducted a savings forecast to discover the weight and volume of single-use containers used in a year and highlighted how to phase these out.  Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) was used to calculate carbon savings, factoring in emissions from cleaning, transport, manufacturing and disposal.

Following a successful trial, SASH moved to a reusable service model under the NHS Supply Chain framework. A dedicated Waste Manager was appointed in April 2022 to conduct monthly reports that track progress, identify further efficiencies and oversee the system. 

Paul Simpson, Chief Finance Office and Director of Estates and Facilities at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, states: “We identified the need to retire old products initially because of safety (reducing injuries from handling sharps) and then realised how environmentally unfriendly our disposal method was, because both the containers and their contents were incinerated after one use. 

"Since establishing new reusable waste containers, our sharps injuries have reduced – and in addition to not just throwing things away, the team has prevented thousands of single use containers from being manufactured and helped us to reduce our carbon emissions.”

What it means for procurement

Not only will SASH’s implementation of the reusable waste container drive sustainability across the NHS, but it will also enhance procurement in several ways, including:

Shift from Consumables to Service-Based Procurement

• NHS trusts will procure a service-based solution (which encompasses the supply, collection, cleaning and return of reusable containers) instead of single-use plastic waste containers as consumables. This will drive supplier management and cost efficiency. 

Longer Procurement Cycles & Contract Management

• Reusable waste container contracts need SLAs and longer-term commitments to maintain hygiene standards, operational efficiency and compliance. 

Supplier Selection & Compliance Considerations

• Supplier due diligence will become more complex as NHS trusts will have to work with approved suppliers who must adhere to certain regulatory, environmental and logistical requirements.

Potential Cost Savings & Budget Reallocation

• Reusable systems will reduce long-term expenditure on single-use plastics and waste disposal, therefore overcoming the initial transition costs 

Contract Monitoring & Performance Metrics

• The service-based approach of using reusable waste containers will mean procurement teams will need performance monitoring systems to track compliance rates, waste reduction figures, container turnaround times and cost efficiencies 

By moving to reusable clinical waste containers, SASH is catalysing a procurement shift from product-based purchasing to service-based contracting. This will require careful sustainability compliance, supplier management and contract negotiation. 

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