1.Water UK guidance
National guidance for healthcare waste water discharges.
Read the guidance: Water UK guidance
2.Have your say on the EU working time directive
The European Commission issued an online public consultation on 1 December asking how the Working Time Directive (WTD) should be changed. Responses to the consultation, due by 15 March 2015, will contribute to the Commission’s current review and assessment of the impact of the WTD on workers, employers and services across Europe. The Commission will use the results to inform their proposal for a new law, which we expect them to issue in 2015.
Read the consultation here: EU working time directive
3.The 13th International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management
The annual conference will be held from March 15 – 18, 2015, in Philadelphia, USA.
See the programme here: International solid waste seminar
4. Environment Agency to confirm separate collection approach
With new legislation on separate collection coming into force on January 1st, the Environment Agency is finalising a briefing note to stakeholders in which it will confirm how it will be overseeing the requirement to separately collect recyclable materials, as set out under the English and Welsh Waste Regulations. Under the new regulations, separate collections of at least paper, metal, plastic and glass for household and commercial waste are a legal requirement from January 1st, unless it is not technically, environmentally or economically practicable (TEEP) or necessary to allow high quality recycling of the material. In the draft briefing note, the Environment Agency has stated: “From January 2015 we will start to apply the regime. We will ask operators to supply information on their current collection methods by 31st March 2015 and we will maintain a database to update that information. Our aim is to help collectors to achieve compliance, but to be robust with those who deliberately ignore their obligations.”
5. Sustainable healthcare education published in the Lancet
In December 2015, the Lancet published a letter about the curriculum for sustainable healthcare, based on work by CSH and the Sustainable Healthcare Education network over the last four years…..
Read the article here: Sustainable healthcare article