We reduce our food waste by using smart ordering and menus.We engage with our patients to find out what food and portion sizes they prefer during their stay at the Hospice.Old vegetable oil is collected by a local company and recycled to make biodiesel.

We use free-range eggs across all our menus.All our fish dishes are produced from Certified MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) fisheries.Organic – we try to use products that are certified to have grown on soil that had no prohibited substances applied for three years prior to harvest.Red Tractor – we use a local butcher who provides us with meat and poultry which is traceable, safe and farmed with care, checking every step of the food journey from farm to fork.

We use Eco Recycling Services to manage our general waste at the Hospice.Once the general waste bins have been collected, they will filter through the waste to ensure all is recycled where possible, including paper and plastics.Reuse not Waste – we encourage staff to bring reusable water bottles to work to refill at water fountains.Cardboard and glass waste is stored in separate bins ready for collection and also recycled.Our local scrap man calls in regularly to collect any scrap metal for recycling.We collect and recycle batteries, light bulbs, ink cartridges and IT hardwareUsed tea bags and ground fresh coffee beans are recycled for our rose trees and shrubbery.

Our gardens have been created to be bird, bug, and bee friendly, they have been populated with wild flowers and only organic compost is used.

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Eco-Friendly Care

Environmental Sustainability at East Cheshire Hospice

To us, sustainability means we act responsibly, consider the wider implications of our actions, and strive to better our practices to minimise waste, energy and our carbon footprint whilst achieving the charity’s service objectives and ensuring patient care is not adversely impacted.

We encourage environmental responsibility amongst our staff, volunteers, supply chains and Trustees.

Here are some of the facts and long-term goals for East Cheshire Hospice

Facts

We currently have an Environmental Sustainability group who meet to discuss ways of reducing our carbon footprint, reducing our energy costs and making the Hospice a more greener and environmentally friendly place.
The Hospice has representation on the Cheshire East Sustainability Network who work collaboratively to promote the link between healthcare and environmental and social sustainability.
The Hospice is also a member of Hospice UK’s Environmental Sustainability for Hospices Group, where we are in regular contact with other Hospices to share our best practice and information regarding all things green.

Long-term goals

Decrease energy use, waste, and costs in the Hospice.
Take into account energy efficiency when considering leasing shops and offices, as well as making decisions on procurement agreements.
Significantly decrease the environmental impact of the running of our organisation in all its properties.
To become a trailblazer, inspiring other organisations in our local health and social care system to become more environmentally sustainable, creating higher standards of public health and environmental protection.
We will endeavour to have ‘pop up’ sustainability information about the work we are doing at the Hospice at all our community events and open gardens events.
Embed sustainability into all our working practices and into our team development.

What's happening already at East Cheshire Hospice?

Events

We will not be providing T-shirts for our events due to the large amount of water usage in making them.
Plastic medals will be replaced by wooden ones.
We will reduce our use of single-use plastic.

Retail

Whether its bric-a-brac, clothing, jewellery, shoes, hats, bags, furniture or rugs, our retail outlets are about pre-loved, reusing and recycling.
The Hospice has five retail outlets – two in Macclesfield, plus shops in Handforth, Poynton and Congleton. Between them they raise much-needed funds for the Hospice whilst at the same time saving unwanted items from being dumped into landfill.
Our retail staff and volunteers are very clued-up on what can and what cannot be recycled. Anything we cannot use is sent to CTR recycling and the team have visited their site to see how they reuse, recycle, and repurpose practically everything!

Facilities & general services

Food waste

We reduce our food waste by using smart ordering and menus.
We engage with our patients to find out what food and portion sizes they prefer during their stay at the Hospice.
Old vegetable oil is collected by a local company and recycled to make biodiesel.

Animal welfare

We use free-range eggs across all our menus.
All our fish dishes are produced from Certified MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) fisheries.
Organic – we try to use products that are certified to have grown on soil that had no prohibited substances applied for three years prior to harvest.
Red Tractor – we use a local butcher who provides us with meat and poultry which is traceable, safe and farmed with care, checking every step of the food journey from farm to fork.

Fairtrade and the Rainforest Alliance

Supporting the three pillars of sustainability – social, economical, and environmental – we try to purchase Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance products wherever possible.

Recycling

We use Eco Recycling Services to manage our general waste at the Hospice.
Once the general waste bins have been collected, they will filter through the waste to ensure all is recycled where possible, including paper and plastics.
Reuse not Waste – we encourage staff to bring reusable water bottles to work to refill at water fountains.
Cardboard and glass waste is stored in separate bins ready for collection and also recycled.
Our local scrap man calls in regularly to collect any scrap metal for recycling.
We collect and recycle batteries, light bulbs, ink cartridges and IT hardware
Used tea bags and ground fresh coffee beans are recycled for our rose trees and shrubbery.

Feeding the bees

Our gardens have been created to be bird, bug, and bee friendly, they have been populated with wild flowers and only organic compost is used.

IT

We recycle all ink cartridges from our printers and photocopiers.

What happens to our waste?

Cardboard and paper

Cardboard and paper is collected on a Wednesday with our refuse truck. The contents is then taken back to our site in Stoke on Trent, tipped off into a pile and is then put through a baling machine.

The card and paper is baled on site. After this process, the bales are lifted onto a trailer and when full, transported to one of the cardboard mills in this country. Most often than not, we use Smurfit Kappa, which is situated in Blackburn. From there, the cardboard and paper is re-processed for new packaging.

Did you know that a cardboard box is recycled up to 7 times during its lifetime?

Hard plastics and soft plastics

Plastics are collected on a Tuesday along with the general waste. Once its taken back to our site, it is tipped off and sorted through, by hand.

When the plastics are segregated into hard plastic and polythene plastic, it is sent off to different avenues:

Hard plastics: Get baled on our site, loaded onto a trailer and delivered into a plastic mill in the UK. Most of the time, we use a company called Van Werven UK ltd to send in the bales. When it is delivered to them, it gets re-processed and is ground into pallets for manufacturing new plastic products.

Polythene (soft plastic)

This is segregated at our site, baled and is then sent to Holland via European transport. It is then re-processed into plastic pallets for new products. Tonne bags are also sent the same way.

General waste (including food waste)

All general waste is sent to emery-from-waste plants, mainly Stoke on Trent ‘waste to energy’. Here, waste is burned to generate electricity for the National Grid.

We are in talks with E-ON at the moment to send all of our food waste to them for generating biogas.

How to Donate to East Cheshire Hospice

Thank you so much for choosing to support East Cheshire Hospice. You may never know how much your gift means, but we know that it will make the world of difference to our patients and their families.

Book your collection now!

01625 610364

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