CUH Sustainability

06/03/2026

CUH Climate Conversations: 'Trade Union's Role in Tackling the Climate Crisis'

We’re excited to welcome Michelle Singleton, UNISON’s National Policy Officer for Environment, as our guest speaker for this month’s CUH Climate Conversation!

🗓 Tuesday 17 March
⏰ 12:00–1:00 pm
💻 Online via Teams

Michelle will explore the key role trade unions play in tackling the climate crisis—nationally, locally, and in workplaces like CUH. This session is open to all CUH staff; you do not need to be a UNISON member to join.

📩 To receive the Teams link, email cuh.thinkgreen@nhs.net, or search “CUH Climate Conversations” on Connect.

🔎 Please note: Whilst this session features UNISON as the invited speaker, CUH is not endorsing any specific trade union. All staff are welcome to join any recognised trade union of their choice if they so wish, and many are actively engaged in environmental and sustainability work.

05/03/2026

A 16% reduction in medicine pots procured - well done everyone! 🎉

As part of the Trust’s commitment to cutting single‑use plastic, improving patient experience, and increasing the accuracy of liquid medication measurements, CUH has been plastic medicine pot‑free since October, switching entirely to paper. But the biggest impact comes from how we use them:

🔁 Reuse tablet pots for the same patient
Store each patient’s pot in their locker and reuse it for as long as it’s in good condition. For IPC reasons, pots remain single‑patient use.

💧 Skip the pot for liquid medicines where possible
Hand the patient the single‑use syringe used to draw up their medication rather than decanting into a pot. This reduces consumables and improves accuracy and experience.

📉 And it’s working: early data shows CUH has used approximately 140,000 fewer medicine pots between Oct 2025–Feb 2026 compared with the same period the previous year — a 16% reduction.

Thank you to everyone helping reduce waste by making the deliberate choice to follow this guidance. Your actions are already making a measurable difference.

27/02/2026

🌍 We're proud to continue supporting the IPCT ‘You don’t need gloves when…’ campaign

CUH used 29 million individual gloves in 2025 — the weight of an adult blue whale — creating around 700 tonnes of CO₂e. A huge chunk of this came from gloves being worn when they weren’t clinically needed.

✨ Remember, it is not clinically appropriate to wear gloves when:
📈 Checking BP or temperature
💊 Giving medication
🍽️ Handling meal trays
🤝 Touching a patient
🍼 Supporting oral nutrition
🦽 Pushing beds/wheelchairs
📞 Using phones/computers

Let’s reduce waste, cut carbon and support safer care together — because we know staff care. 81% of you told us you’re concerned about the environmental impact of glove use at CUH, so you're not alone at wanting to make a difference.

🔗 More information can be found on Connect.

25/02/2026

🔌 Remember to Power Down!

Help us save energy and money by switching off your:
🖥️ PCs
💡 Lights
❄️ Air conditioning units

Please make sure these are turned off when not in use—especially at the end of your shift, in the evenings, and over weekends.

Leaving devices on wastes valuable Trust funds and prevents essential PC updates, leading to slower and less efficient systems. Every one of us plays a part in reducing unnecessary energy use.

If you manage a team, please highlight this reminder in your briefings. Support materials are available on Connect.

ℹ️ Note: BCA PCs are exempt. If you're unsure about an exception in your area, check with your manager.

23/02/2026

Did you know that we've got almost 300 members of CUH staff within our car sharing platform? 😱 Is a staff member driving in near you?

KINTO Join, our car sharing partner, helps staff:
💷 Cut travel costs
🚘 Reduce parking congestion
🌍 Reduce carbon footprint

KINTO Join is a app-based platform that offers a fast, digitalised, and easy approach to car sharing. Connections can be made by those who want to be part of the system, and journeys can be booked with fellow staff through an easy-to-navigate messaging board or with the instant booking system (like the process of booking a taxi).

To register, please open this link on your mobile phone https://app.kinto-join.co.uk/. Please ensure you sign up with your nhs.net email address, for instant community approval.

18/02/2026

🧤 Glove Purchasing Update – January

This January, our Trust purchased 1.14 million single‑use gloves, down from 1.28 million in January last year. We also saw a significant month‑on‑month drop since December 2025 — over 800,000 fewer pairs of gloves purchased. This marks another strong step forward in reducing unnecessary glove use, and the positive impacts are clear. When comparing January 2025 to January 2026, we achieved meaningful reductions in:

Gloves purchased: 0.14 million fewer gloves
Waste generated: 2 tonnes less waste
Embedded CO₂ emissions: 6 tonnes lower
Overall costs: £967 saved

Thank you to everyone across the Trust — your commitment to appropriate glove use continues to make a real difference for patient care, our environment, and our finances. 🌍

A reminder: gloves are not required for all patient activities. It is not clinically appropriate to wear gloves when:
📈 Checking blood pressure or temperature
💊 Dispensing medication
🍽️ Handling or collecting meal trays and drinks
🤝 Touching a patient
🍼 Assisting with oral nutrition
🦽 Moving a patient, chair, trolley or bed
📞 Using phones or computers

Performing hand hygiene before and after these activities is more effective — protecting you, our patients, and the planet.

The Sustainability Team will continue working closely with IPCT to share monthly glove‑purchasing data and what it means for waste, carbon and cost across the Trust. Raising awareness helps us all reduce inappropriate glove use.

📘 For full guidance on the Trust’s glove campaign, visit Connect:
https://www.cuhconnect.nhs.uk/.../infection.../hand-hygiene/

16/02/2026

🌱 Social Connection at Work Matters!

Did you know that building strong social connections at work can reduce stress, lift your mood, boost resilience, and even support better cognitive health? Today, we’re spotlighting how the CUH Green Champions Community helps staff improve their wellbeing through meaningful, sustainable connections, all whilst making a difference.

Being part of the CUH Green Champions Community means:
🌟 Belonging – Meet colleagues who share your passion for sustainability.
🌍 Action – Help drive real change across our hospital and wider community.
📚 Learning – Gain and share practical tips for reducing carbon emissions.
🤝 Support – Celebrate wins and tackle challenges as a team.
🔗 Networking – Connect across departments and spark new ideas.
🎉 Fun – Join in on repair cafés, expert talks, friendly competitions, and more!

🌿 Ready to get involved? Become a Green Champion today:
https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/B333ZJB

Already a Green Champion? Tell us what the community means to you in the comments! 💬✨

13/02/2026

🌿Cohort 4 of the LDN Sustainable Healthcare Academy launches in April and May 2026!

By joining this apprenticeship, you'll become an action-driven CUH Green Champion, delivering real projects that reduce costs, improve patient outcomes, and support the NHS journey to Net Zero. 🌍

👉 Want to learn more or sign up for an insight session? Visit the LDN website: https://www.ldnapprenticeships.com/sha or email cuh.thinkgreen@ nhs.net

This is "Introducing the LDN Sustainable Healthcare Academy" by LDN Apprenticeships on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

09/02/2026

♻️ Recycling alone won’t get us to Net Zero — but high‑value recycling is still essential for building a sustainable future.

Did you know we have not 1, not 2 — but 4 MDI inhaler recycling bins dotted around CUH?! You can find them at:
• Clinic 6
• Clinic 2a
• Central Pharmacy
• Inpatient Dispensary

If your patients use MDIs, please encourage them to bring their empty inhalers to their next CUH appointment and drop them off at one of our bin locations.

If a patient finishes an MDI while an inpatient, please ensure the used inhaler is sent down to Central Pharmacy or the Inpatient Dispensary (Level 1).

These bins have been installed to:
🌍Capture and reuse powerful greenhouse gases from excess propellant
♻️ Recycle the plastic and metal components
📍 Provide a clear, centralised return point for CUH patients
🫵 Raise awareness of the environmental impact of MDIs and the steps CUH is taking toward Net Zero

🌱 Got a green initiative you want to get started? Email us: cuh.thinkgreen@nhs.net

05/02/2026

Ready to make your business travel greener?

By joining the Enterprise Car Club, instead of individual taxis or personal cars, you can help us cut emissions, save money, and support CUH’s journey toward a more sustainable future.

🚗 What’s available?
We now have 4 hybrid and 4 fully electric vehicles onsite at Car Park 7, available 24/7, 365 days a year. Plus access to thousands more at on‑street locations across 23 UK cities.

🌍 Why it’s the greener choice:
- Shared cars = fewer vehicles on site and fewer emissions overall
- Hybrid engines = lower carbon output per journey
- Reduces reliance on taxis and private cars

✨ And it’s convenient too:
- Reserve instantly on the Enterprise Car Club app
- No paperwork, no key handovers
- Book for as little as 1 hour or for several days
- Multiple registered drivers can use the same vehicle

💷 Costs:
- £5.71 per hour (fuel included)
- £40 for 24‑hour hire
- On‑street prices vary by location

📲 Ready to join the greener way to travel for business?
Email cuh.access@nhs.net or call 01223 596060 to sign up.

04/02/2026

Our results are IN! 🍫♻️

After two months of tub collecting, our Tub2Pub campaign at CUH has officially wrapped — and you all smashed it.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who donated their empty confectionery tubs for Macmillan Cancer Support, and those that supported the process.

🎥 Watch our results video to find out just how many tubs we're sending off for recycling...

Missed the deadline? Don’t panic! If you still have plastic tubs lurking under desks, or mysteriously living in staff rooms, you can still recycle them — just pop them into the on‑site green bins.

👇And we want to hear from you:
Did your favourite tub take the crown as CUH’s favourite chocolate for 25/26?

03/02/2026

🥶 Keep Your Home Cozy This Winter! 🏠✨

We thought we'd share some easy ways to keep warm, cut costs, and lower your carbon footprint at home this winter:

🔹 Seal Out Draughts
Add letterbox brushes & keyhole covers
Use foam or metal strips around doors/windows
Pop a draught excluder at the bottom of doors

🔸 Retain the Heat
Close thick curtains at night
Put radiator foil behind radiators
Insulate walls, floors & loft
Keep doors shut to unheated rooms

🔹 Smarter Heating
Set heating timers wisely
Turn off radiators in unused rooms
Drop thermostat by 1°C
Ventilate for 10 mins twice daily (dry air heats faster!)

Find cold spots: Rent a FREE thermal imaging camera from Cambridge Carbon Footprint!

More advice can be found on Connect under: 'Tips for sustainable living' 💚