Transitioning to reusable cups in inpatient wards

Transitioning to reusable cups in inpatient wards. Project completed as part of Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh (WWL) Green Team Competition 2025. Transitioning to reusable cups in inpatient wards. 

Project completed as part of Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh (WWL) Green Team Competition 2025. 

Team Members: 

• Angela Reeve - Deputy Hotel Services Manager
• Gavin Thorpe - Deputy Hotel Services Manager

Setting / patient group: All inpatient wards 

Issue: 

At Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, inpatient wards rely heavily on single-use cups, with each 28-bed ward using approximately 71,000 cups annually. This generates substantial waste and contributes to the Trust’s carbon footprint. While some wards had independently transitioned to reusable cups due to storage challenges, the majority continued using disposables. The scale of consumption was largely unnoticed in daily operations, and the environmental and financial impact of single-use cups had not been systematically addressed across the organisation.

Intervention: 

Aim: To replace single use cups for drinks with reusable options for inpatients on wards who opt-in to the change. 

The team began by analysing procurement data and engaging ward staff to understand current practices and barriers. Reusable cups were selected based on criteria including recycled material, durability, comfort, and cost-effectiveness. Staff engagement included ward walkarounds to explain benefits and address concerns, with strategies like rotating three sets of cups per ward to ease cleaning pressures. The change was introduced as an opt-in model, with four wards committing during the initial phase.

Outcomes: 

Initial savings are based on uptake from four wards. It is anticipated that additional w ards will sign up to the programme over the rest of the year.

Clinical:

• Drinking may be easier and more comfortable for patients with dexterity issues
• May reduce risk of spills. 

Environmental: 

• 2,148 kgCO2e per year. Saving equivalent to driving 6,320 miles in an average car. If all 19 wards opt in, savings would be 8,332 kgCO2e, equivalent to driving 24,513 miles

Financial:

• £12,757 per year. If all 19 wards (those not already using reusable prior to the project) make the transition, there is potential to save £60,596 per year

Social: 

• Ward staff expressed reducing environmental impact is important
• While some staff initially hesitant about cleaning requirements, it’s anticipated the implementing wards will demonstrate the task can be completed quickly and integrated into existing routines.
• Anticipated patients experience will improve. 

Key learning point: 

As a team, we found it rewarding to visit the wards and witness staff reactions when presented with the scale of single-use cup consumption. In daily operations, the excess can be easy to overlook, and seeing the figures in context was a powerful motivator for change. This awareness played a key role in encouraging wards to adopt reusable cups.

The success of this project has relied on clearly demonstrating the range of benefits including financial savings, improved storage efficiency, and enhancing the patient experience. By engaging staff directly and showing how this change supports both environmental and patient care goals, we were able to present a solution that is truly a win-win for the Trust, its staff, and its patients.