Sustainable Healthcare Recycling & Waste Management
Framework Description
Sustainable Healthcare Recycling & Waste Management is NHS Shared Business Services' framework supporting the NHS Clinical Waste Strategy, published in March 2023, which aims to cut carbon emissions from waste by 80%. Its lots run from consultancy and clinical waste services to on-site treatment technology, waste minimisation products and trust-specific lots for Barts and Manchester. Applications for this framework are closed (it is not a DPS), and it ends on 22 October 2027.
Context & Use Case
Healthcare providers generate around 156,000 tonnes of clinical waste a year, much of it incinerated. Trusts use the framework to plan waste strategies with consultants, work towards the strategy's 20:20:60 segregation targets, adopt reusable sharps, add on-site treatment such as pyrolysis or microwave systems, and let general, food, hazardous and confidential waste contracts.
Scope of Services
Lot 1: Recycling and waste consultancy Lot 2: Sustainable asset management and waste re-purposing solutions and technology Lots 3.1–3.2: Clinical healthcare waste; reusable sharps Lot 4: Sanitary and washroom services Lots 5.1–5.3: Commercial and household waste; food recycling management; hazardous waste Lot 6: Confidential recycling, waste destruction and disposal Lots 7.1–7.4: Waste minimisation products – bio-digesters, aerobic digesters, compactors, bins Lots 8.1–8.2: Sustainable waste technology – pyrolysis, microwave solutions Lot 9: Total recycling and waste management Lots 10.1–10.9: Barts NHS Hospital Trust services, from residual and clinical waste to auditing and behavioural change Lot 11: Manchester NHS Trusts domestic waste
Lots
Lot 1: Recycling and Waste Consultancy This lot covers consultancy services for recycling and waste management. Lot 2: Sustainable Asset Management/Waste Re-purposing Solutions & Technology This lot focuses on sustainable management of assets and solutions for repurposing waste using technology. Lot 3.1: Clinical Healthcare Waste This lot addresses the management and disposal of clinical healthcare waste. Lot 3.2: Reuseable Sharps This lot involves services related to reusable sharps in healthcare settings. Lot 4: Sanitary & Washroom Services This lot includes services for maintaining sanitary and washroom facilities. Lot 5.1: Commercial & Household Waste This lot covers the management of both commercial and household waste. Lot 5.2: Food Recycling Management Services This lot focuses on services for managing the recycling of food waste. Lot 5.3: Hazardous Waste This lot involves the management and disposal of hazardous waste materials. Lot 6: Confidential Recycling & Waste Destruction & Disposal This lot provides services for the confidential destruction and disposal of waste. Lot 7.1: Recycling & Waste Minimisation Products: Bio-digesters This lot offers products such as bio-digesters for recycling and waste minimisation. Lot 7.2: Recycling & Waste Minimisation Products: Aerobic Waste Digestors This lot includes aerobic waste digestors as part of recycling and waste minimisation products. Lot 7.3: Recycling & Waste Minimisation Products: Compactors This lot provides compactors for efficient waste minimisation and recycling. Lot 7.4: Recycling & Waste Minimisation Products: Bins This lot offers various bins designed for recycling and waste minimisation. Lot 8.1: Sustainable Waste Management Technology: Pyrolysis This lot focuses on pyrolysis technology for sustainable waste management. Lot 8.2: Sustainable Waste Management Technology: Microwave Solutions This lot involves microwave solutions for managing waste sustainably. Lot 9: Total Recycling & Waste Management This lot covers comprehensive services for total recycling and waste management. Lot 10.1: Barts NHS Hospital Trust: Residual & Commercial Household Waste This lot addresses the management of residual and commercial household waste for Barts NHS Hospital Trust. Lot 10.2: Barts NHS Hospital Trust: Cardboard This lot focuses on the recycling and management of cardboard waste for Barts NHS Hospital Trust. Lot 10.3: Barts NHS Hospital Trust: Food Services This lot involves services related to food waste management for Barts NHS Hospital Trust. Lot 10.4: Barts NHS Hospital Trust: Clinical Waste (Containers) This lot covers the management of clinical waste using containers for Barts NHS Hospital Trust. Lot 10.5: Barts NHS Hospital Trust: Non-infectious Clinical Waste This lot addresses the disposal of non-infectious clinical waste for Barts NHS Hospital Trust. Lot 10.6: Barts NHS Hospital Trust: Clinical Waste (Lo & Hi Temp. Destruction) This lot involves the destruction of clinical waste at low and high temperatures for Barts NHS Hospital Trust. Lot 10.7: Barts NHS Hospital Trust: Feminine Hygiene Services This lot provides feminine hygiene services for Barts NHS Hospital Trust. Lot 10.8: Barts NHS Hospital Trust: Benchmarking & Waste Contractor Compliance This lot focuses on benchmarking and ensuring compliance of waste contractors for Barts NHS Hospital Trust. Lot 10.9: Barts NHS Hospital Trust: On-site Waste Auditing & Behavioural Change Services This lot includes on-site waste auditing and services aimed at behavioural change for Barts NHS Hospital Trust. Lot 11: Manchester NHS Trusts: Domestic Waste This lot covers the management of domestic waste for Manchester NHS Trusts.
Who Can Apply
It suits clinical and hazardous waste contractors, recycling and confidential destruction firms, washroom service providers, waste consultants and makers of digesters, compactors and on-site treatment technology. Applications for this framework are closed, so suppliers not appointed must wait for the re-tender expected around 22 October 2027.
Buyer Benefits
Trusts can buy everything from strategy advice to collection and on-site treatment through one route, supporting carbon cuts and lower disposal costs as waste volumes fall. Pre-approved suppliers help trusts act on the Clinical Waste Strategy quickly, and the Barts and Manchester lots show the framework can host trust-specific requirements.
Next Steps
The term ends on 22 October 2027, so suppliers seeking a place should start preparing for the re-tender now. Gather segregation results, carbon reduction data, reusable sharps outcomes and evidence of on-site treatment at NHS sites. Appointed suppliers should record call-off performance and savings. Re-tender notices will be posted on the framework's page on the NHS SBS site.
How Athena Can Help
NHS waste contracts are increasingly won on carbon as well as cost. Athena's environmental services bid writing evidences segregation, reuse and emissions results against the criteria, with a compliance check on every response.
For the 2027 re-tender, our lot selection advice helps choose among more than twenty lots and prepares the documents early, and our social value bidding support builds a compliant social value and pricing case under the Procurement Act 2023.
