Are you ready for the Government's single-use plastic ban? NHS Reusable Catering Consumables Guide is out now!

It is estimated that England uses 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery — most of which are plastic — and 721 million single-use plates per year, but only 10% are recycled. A range of polluting single-use plastics (including plastic cutlery, plates and polystyrene trays) will be banned from October 2023 following the Government's consultation.  

Did you know that a switch from single-use inpatient meal sets to a reusable service could save the average NHS hospital 50-100 tonnes CO2e a year, equivalent to around 185,000 car miles, and £30k a year? It is important to ensure the NHS system is well equipped with the upcoming Defra single use plastics ban. NHS England have launched our highly anticipated practical how-to guide for catering consumables for the NHS system, highlighting the carbon and financial savings to using reusable alternatives, key steps to making the change and the alternatives available to reach a net zero NHS. 

The content of the catering consumables how-to guide is aimed at switching to reusable options and single use plastic alternatives if reusables is not possible. It includes:  

• Steps on how to switch to reusable catering consumables, including guidance of how to do so via the NHS Supply Chain catalogue; 

• Steps on how to switch to single-use catering plastic alternatives;  

• Guidance and case studies on what reusable and alternative catering consumables are available;  

• Case studies from Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; and 

• A workflow map for NHS organisations to use when considering which option to pick. 

Read the catering consumables how-to guide now via the CCF Hub (only available for NHS staff). Please email england.ccf@nhs.net if you have difficulty accessing Futures.  

Contact: england.ccf-sustainability@nhs.net if you have any queries.