Skip to main content

Swansea Bay Green Group

Image shows some vegetables

The Swansea Bay Green Group is a staff-led group created to help tackle the climate crisis and make the NHS in the region more environmentally friendly.

The Green Group is open to all staff members working within the health board at any level. There are four areas/sub-groups that the Green Group focuses on and staff are encouraged to join any of the groups which they take an interest in. If staff are uncertain, they are encouraged to explore the groups and identify where they would be most valuable and which they would like to be involved.

The sub-groups within the Green Group cover the following areas:

  • Greener Theatres.
  • Sustainable Food.
  • Sustainable Travel.
  • Waste and Recycling.

Some of the achievements for the group are:

Image shows three women standing in front of theatre equipment Greener Theatres
  • Theatre Energy Shutdown Project - Identifying equipment in theatres that could be safely switched off out of hours, saving energy and money. A report identified nearly 50 per cent of equipment switched on in operating theatres were not used during the night and on weekends. It calculated a potential annual saving of £26,000. In terms of carbon emissions, it equates to 77 return visits from Land’s End to John O’Groats in an average car.
  • Paracetamol Project - Identifying areas where Paracetamol could be given orally preoperatively instead of intravenous (IV) in theatres. It saves IV doses which are more expensive and have a greater carbon footprint.
  • Reusable Textiles Project - Investigating how we can increase our use of reusable textiles in theatres - e.g. gowns, drapes etc.

 

Image shows healthy food Sustainable Food
  • Vegan and Vegetarian options - In an effort to promote sustainable eating habits, vegan and vegetarian food options are offered at our cafes, restaurants and on our in-patients' menus. This not only caters to dietary preferences but also reduces the environmental impact of our food services. We will be looking to include a wider variety of non-meat options as part of our services.
  • Healthy and Sustainable Catering strategy - The Healthy and Sustainable Catering strategy is currently being developed. This strategy aims to address every aspect of our catering services, with a strong focus on nutrition, environmental impact, and waste reduction. By implementing this strategy we intend to improve the sustainability practices of our catering services and provide meals that are both nutritious and environmentally friendly.   
  • Sourcing locally - Partnering with NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, we strive to source our ingredients locally whenever possible, helping to reduce food miles and consequently, our carbon footprint. As we expand our efforts to source locally, we must ensure that the food and drink we provide meets nutrition and quality requirements.

Image shows a bicycle Sustainable Travel
  • Gold Cycle Friendly Accreditation (at our three main sites) - Through a series of proactive initiatives, we've fostered a cycling-friendly environment across our sites. This includes the installation of lockable bike racks equipped with maintenance kits, development of active travel maps which include the locations of shower and changing facilities, and our Cycle2Work scheme, which through financial incentives makes cycling more accessible and affordable for staff. These efforts, along with other initiatives, enabled us to achieve Gold Cycle Friendly accreditation at our three main sites. Completing this accreditation has enabled us to advocate for better sustainable travel and enhanced well-being for our staff.
  • Achieved Swansea Bay Healthy Travel Charter Level 1  - As signatories of the Swansea Bay Healthy Travel Charter, we've have recently attained Level 1 status by embracing agile work practices, implementing effective communication on sustainability issues, and promoting sustainable travel initiatives e.g. FirstBus Travel Club. Advancing to Level 2, we will focus on enhancing previous sustainable travel actions and implementing new initiatives, such as fostering cultural change, improving travel planning, and introducing additional incentives for sustainable commuting. These ongoing efforts demonstrate our commitment to a healthier, more sustainable environment through promoting sustainable travel for our staff and the wider community.

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth a galwadau ffôn yn y Gymraeg neu'r Saesneg. Atebir gohebiaeth Gymraeg yn y Gymraeg, ac ni fydd hyn yn arwain at oedi. Mae’r dudalen hon ar gael yn Gymraeg drwy bwyso’r botwm ar y dde ar frig y dudalen.

We welcome correspondence and telephone calls in Welsh or English. Welsh language correspondence will be replied to in Welsh, and this will not lead to a delay. This page is available in Welsh by clicking ‘Cymraeg’ at the top right of this page.