Liverpool University Hospitals | Panda Recycling

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust operates three major sites Aintree, Broadgreen, and the Royal Liverpool, together generating over 3,300 tonnes of non-clinical waste each year. With ambitious NHS sustainability targets to meet, the Trust needed a robust, innovative waste management approach that would deliver results while supporting cost control and carbon reduction.

What we delivered

The challenge

The Trust’s main challenge was to significantly increase recycling rates while reducing the cost of cardboard disposal and the carbon footprint of its operations. The scale of the sites meant waste had to be handled efficiently to avoid disruption, while still meeting strict compliancere ruirements and working towards a zero-to-landfill target.

The solution

Panda partnered with the Trust for more than 15 years, continually evolving the service to meet new challenges. Three balers were installed one at each site allowing cardboard to be baled and sold for a rebate, turning a previous cost into a revenue stream. Compactors were introduced to bulk offensive waste, reducing the number of journeys across the city. Smart “Big Belly” bins were deployed to alert staff when full, cutting emptying frequency dramatically. Panda also sourced disposal facilities within 15 miles of the hospitals, keeping transport distances and emissions to a minimum.