St. Paul’s Hospital Recycling Communications and Engagement Project
Recycling in clinical settings has its own set of unique and complex challenges that can make the process confusing for staff. Simple rules for municipal recycling do not always apply in a clinical setting due to real and perceived risk of hazardous and biomedical materials ending up in the recycling bin. The St. Paul’s Hospital recycling communications and engagement project tested new recycling engagement tools meant to improve recycling in clinical areas.
Six clinical units at St. Paul’s Hospital were chosen to receive newly designed recycling bin stickers, inspirational posters, and clinical recycling guides. I also provided in-person education opportunities over a pilot period of three months, and collected quantitative and qualitative data before and after the pilot to test the effectiveness of all the tools.
The results showed an overall decrease in recycling bin contamination and increase in staff engagement with recycling although unexpectedly, results were mixed or negative for waste diversion and active use of recycling bins. These surprising results highlight the ongoing complexity and nuances of recycling in the health care context where patient care priorities, product changes, and recycling logistics often work against recycling improvement.