Ignacio Sanchez Diaz
1. Joint Healthcare Waste and Resources Research Group and ISWA International conference (sponsored by Grundon Waste Management)
In conjunction with the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), the Group will be hosting an international conference on April 14 and 15, 2016. It will be held at St Thomas’ Hospital in London.
One of the speakers will be Ignacio Sanchez Diaz from the UNDP. Ignacio works as Greening Health Systems Specialist at UNDP HHD Team at the Istanbul Regional Hub. He provides technical support to secretariat of the Sustainable Procurement in the Health Sector (SPHS) task team and SPHS members in environmental and sustainability aspects. He supports UNDP Procurement Service Unit in the environmental assessment of healthcare suppliers and the development of environmental requirements. In addition, he supports regional HHD team on mainstream work related to the environmental safeguarding of programmes and project implemented in the region and globally, especially on healthcare waste management and carbon footprint assessment.
His presentation will introduce some of the current activities and projects being develop by UNDP on healthcare waste management and the lesson learnt from previous experience such as waste management during the Ebola respond or the Countries assessments on healthcare waste management.
The full programme can be found here: Programme – Feb 2016
Sponsors include: Daniels, Econix, GV Health, Frontier Medical Group, Newster, Sharpsmart, Cloud Sustainability and ISS Ltd. (Please contact Terry Tudor: terry.tudor@northampton.ac.uk, if you wish to sponsor)
Booking details can be found at: healthcare waste 2016 conference
2. Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey discharged from London hospital
Read the story here
3. Defra to publish 25-year environment plan
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will publish a 25-year environment plan by the end of the year. It will work with the Natural Capital Committee to develop a comprehensive 25-year plan for the environment.
Read the story here
4. Healthcare sector hits carbon reduction targets
According to NHS England, the NHS and wider health and care sector is over the first hurdle in the race to reach carbon reduction targets and help limit the effects of climate change.
A report from the Sustainable Development Unit for NHS England and Public Health England showed the NHS has reduced its carbon emissions by 11% between 2007 and 2015 – exceeding the 10% target set in 2009. The wider sector, which also includes public health and social care, has seen a 13% reduction over the same period.
Read the story here
5. Environment Agency starts trials of new RDF definition
In February, the Environment Agency (EA) commenced a six-month trial using a new definition for refuse-derived fuel (RDF).
Defra worked closely with a range of operators with an interest in the RDF sector to develop the new definition that was published in November 2015.
Read the story here