Medequip encourages walking aid returns as part of new initiative during National Recycling Week 2022
Community equipment provider Medequip is encouraging the recycling of old medical equipment, including crutches and walking frames, during National Recycle Week which runs this week from 17th – 21st October 2022.
Walking aids, such as walking stick, frames, rollators and crutches can be safely refurbished and reused repeatedly and Medequip has stated that WRAP’s National Recycle Week is a good opportunity to boost return and reuse which will help improve availability for patients, reduce carbon emissions and save money.
Patients can find out where to return their walking aids by visiting their local Trust’s website or by using the WRAP Recycle Now Tool.
All 24 of Medequip’s depots are being utilised as equipment drop off points during Recycle Week. Medequip also have 65 amnesty bin drop off points which can be found across the UK.
As a national provider of community equipment services, Medequip serves a population of over 20 million people, providing thousands of pieces of equipment every day to people who are living with mobility issues and disability. The service includes equipment procurement, maintenance, collection, cleaning, and recycling of equipment so it can be re-issued to another person in the community. Medequip has an impressive equipment recycle rate – which is currently 88% of returned items.
Medequip has also focused on carbon emissions in other areas of the business including vehicle fleet and aim to have 25 per cent of service delivery vehicles fully electric by December 2022.
Crutches, frames and walking sticks provide an excellent opportunity for carbon savings due to the high greenhouse gas intensity of aluminium manufacture.
WRAP (The Waste and Resources Action Programme) is a charity working with the government, businesses and citizens to create a world where resources are sourced and used sustainably. NHS England is also supporting National Recycle Week and encouraging trusts to use the week to set up a new scheme or boost return rates for an existing scheme.
Alex Roberts, Engagement Manager at Medequip said: “Supporting National Recycle Week helps us build on our existing campaigns to encourage people to return unused equipment, in most cases equipment can be cleaned and reused for someone else in the community.”
Suzanne Rastrick, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer, NHS England, added: “Increasing the amount of walking aids, such as crutches, walking sticks and walking frames, that are reused by patients is an important priority for the NHS. As well as helping to reduce the NHS carbon footprint, it can help the NHS to use its resources more effectively and save taxpayers money.”
Earlier this year, the CES provider teamed up with Age UK Wirral to encourage local community equipment returns. Age UK Wirral charity shops accepted Medequip-labelled community equipment that was prescribed to a service user but no longer needed.
