BMI Healthcare has announced it is ending the use of plastic and non-recyclable cups in each of its 58 hospitals and clinics across England, Wales and Scotland.
Altogether, the hospital group uses around four million single-use disposable coffee/tea cups and a further 1.2 million water cups, each year.
Patients and visitors, by the end of November 2018 will instead be offered recyclable paper water cups and compostable paper coffee cups.
These alternative cups will break down within 30 days after use, leaving no adverse effects on the environment.
“Our previous tea and coffee cups were either Styrofoam or double-walled plastic-lined cups, while our water cups were plastic. None of these break down properly in the environment and we at BMI Healthcare share concerns over the effects of plastic on our wildlife, our oceans and in the food that we eat,” said Jason Hession, Head of Hotel Services for BMI Healthcare.
“By moving to the new recyclable cups, we hope to contribute to the long-term health of our planet and hope we inspire others to do the same. And, of course, we will continue to use, wash and re-use crockery as far as possible.”
The new cups are the latest in a company-wide drive to replace non-essential single-use plastics as BMI Healthcare has already replaced plastic spoons with wooden stirrers, and plastic cutlery with bamboo knives, forks and spoons.