Sustainability
document requirements and confidential waste handling. When adhered to, the guidelines help to protect not only the environment but also prevent any legal or financial issues. Due to the nature of care homes
operating 24/7 and caring for large numbers of residents, waste from kitchens, bathrooms, communal areas and staff areas can accumulate fast, and can become overwhelming and hard to view holistically from a circular economy approach without a robust waste management strategy in place. Being able to first understand how and
where waste is produced is a key step in identifying opportunities to reduce waste and recycle more efficiently.
The Importance of a whole-home approach Making care homes sustainable cannot rest on one person’s shoulders. While having a sustainability champion can help introduce new ideas and guide others to practice sustainability, real change can only happen when everyone is on board. By encouraging participation from all areas of the care home, sustainability becomes a group responsibility. It all starts with education and training,
which is not always straight-forward. With legislation and guidelines varying across different regions of the UK, it’s not always clear cut. But by taking the time to think about the waste produced and the legal requirements, it’s possible to develop strategies that reduce and repurpose non- hazardous waste. However, according to Kelvin Croney
from commercial waste firm Waste Managed, if operators can build sustainable behaviours into everyone’s daily routines, they quickly become second nature. A whole-team approach will not only improve recycling rates and accuracy but also strengthen care homes’ overall environmental commitment.
Regional waste rules For England, as discussed, simpler recycling was introduced for businesses with more than 10 employees in 2025. Next year, this will become mandatory for all businesses, regardless of how many employees they have. Wales has had much stricter waste laws
since 2024, requiring certain types to be separated more specifically (and an update to the law to include small electrical items came into force last month). Northern Ireland amended its recycling
Some care homes might introduce small recycling or sustainability activities or sessions, where residents can learn about recycling, reducing waste, and even composting.
laws in 2023, requiring businesses with 10 or more employees to separate their waste, and additional separation rules are set to be introduced by 2027. Meanwhile, Scotland’s recycling laws for
businesses have been in place since 2012, with the latest amendment in 2021 meaning municipal-type waste is banned from going to landfill altogether. In addition, inspectors from the Care
Quality Commission (CQC) are placing greater attention on environmental practices, waste management procedures, and overall operational governance when assessing care providers.
The three Rs in practice: reduce, reuse, and recycle The waste hierarchy of reduce, reuse, and recycle provides a simple yet effective framework for improving recycling and sustainability. This can most definitely be applied to care homes. “Wherever possible, landfill should be
avoided; it should only be the very last resort when every other avenue has been explored,” said Mr Croney.
Reduce Start with small tasks, such as planning food delivery effectively to minimise food waste and using PPE appropriately by sticking to the guidelines and not overusing.
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Reusing For example, bedding should be used multiple times before being disposed of, also donating unused items, and using refillable products.
Recycling Waste such as paper, cardboard, plastics, glass and metals should be separated properly so they can be processed, cleaned, and turned into brand new products, rather than being sent to landfill. The best way to make sure care home is recycling properly is to have separate bins and clear labelling for each type of waste. This way, the waste won’t be contaminated.
Using visual communication to improve recycling In any business, but especially in care homes where hazardous waste is present, clear communication is essential around what can and can’t be recycled. In busy environments with staff and residents moving between all areas of the care home, recycling guidance needs to be easy to understand, clear, and visible. This is where visual communication helps. Things such as posters using dedicated bright colours, clear headings, and simple images of examples of waste, with the name of each waste type placed near each bin, can help people quickly identify exactly what waste goes into which bin.
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