Throughout April, we’re exploring all things sustainability with our Healthy Sustainability Month. Elysium’s Andy Wadley shares some of his sustainability highlights and what’s coming up in the near future.
Sustainability Highlight 1 – Elysium at the vanguard of sustainability education
We’re incredibly proud that a group of colleagues are currently undertaking the LDN Sustainable Healthcare Academy Level 4 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Practitioner apprenticeship.
Elysium is one of the first independent healthcare providers in the UK to enrol its team in this apprenticeship course.
Six people are currently taking part, with more due to enrol in September. Interest has been very high, with many colleagues asking to enrol.
Sustainability Highlight 2 – Energy Saving
Sustainability is a key focus for Elysium. As part of Ramsay Health Care, and as an organisation, we have pledged to achieve Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
To help us achieve that target, we are tendering for the installation of solar panels across our services, adding to our nine current services that have panels installed.
The aim is to reduce reliance on the National Grid by producing a level of our own renewable electricity.
We have a diverse estate of different sorts of buildings, from listed to bespoke builds. Each needs their own approach when considering sustainability and what is possible in terms of solar panels. We are working with a subject matter expert to review the estate, and when placing them on the roof might not be an option, where could they be used? They are helping us consider small solar farms in car parks or on grounds in places where roofs are not an option.
Sustainability Highlight 3 – More Energy Saving
We have recently awarded a tender to Stark for the installation of electric chargers for vehicles across different services. One of the residents supported in a South London service – 1A Upper Brighton Road – will be the first to have their charger installed, and five other London services will follow soon after.
The organisation we have appointed for the installation has software which links directly to the carbon monitoring software we use, which will help us further map our carbon footprint.
Sustainability Highlight 4 – More Energy Saving
Later this year, we will be rolling out an LED lightbulbs project, which will help us significantly reduce energy intensity and the level of waste material generated through replacement bulbs. Both areas are key KPIs to us achieving net zero.
Sustainability Highlight 5 – Food Waste
New legislation has come in to help recycle food waste.
We are very aware of food waste and take proactive steps to minimise waste across our sites. We’re working with our waste management suppliers to make sure we’re doing all we can to minimise and separate food waste so that it can be recycled effectively where it exists. This has positive environmental and financial impacts.
Sustainability Highlight 6 – Recycling
We have a really positive approach to recycling. Across the organisation, the amount we recycle is HUGE – 99.8%.
Among that number are some really innovative projects designed to reduce specific waste and recycle different items. One is the recycling of single-use vapes, which has been very successful.
Another is recycling unused and obsolete electrical equipment such as computers, phones and servers. Working with an organisation called DSA Connect, those redundant pieces of IT equipment are taken away, broken down to their component parts and then used in prisons where they are worked on and, where possible, regenerated for resale by those serving sentences.
Not only does it help people learn important new skills, but the items are then sold on. We donate our percentage of the resale value of the newly refurbished items to charity.
That is true recycling. They’re broken down, and instead of heading to waste, they are regenerated.