County Durham now leads the way in medical equipment recycling thanks to a pioneering partnership between HW Martin Waste, Durham County Council and Medequip – saving the NHS nearly £90,000 in its first year.
Unreturned medical equipment costs the NHS an estimated £1.2 million annually. This scheme tackles the challenge head-on.
It provides residents of Durham with convenient drop-off points for NHS-issued items such as walking aids and other medical appliances. These aids are then refurbished and given a clean bill of health by Medequip before being reintegrated into the National Health Service.
After a successful pilot, the scheme now operates across all 12 HWRCs in County Durham, making it one of the UK’s most accessible recycling networks.
The service is jointly delivered by the HW Martin Durham Waste Contract Team, led by Contract Manager Sean Sweet, working closely with Durham County Council’s Strategic Waste Team under the guidance of Senior Monitoring Officer Debbie Hibbitts.
The scheme has had significant environmental and financial benefits:
- Nearly 8 tonnes of equipment returned in the first 12-months.
- Nearly £90,000 saved for the NHS in the first 18-months.
- Significant waste diverted from carbon-producing recycling processes.
The groundbreaking initiative earned national acclaim, winning the MRW National Recycling Partnership Excellence Award in 2025 and Best Reuse Initiative Award at the 2025 North East Recycling Forum. Judges highlighted the project as an outstanding example of transforming waste into valuable resources and promoting reuse and sustainability across the region.
Sean Sweet, Contract Manager at HW Martin Waste, commented:
“My team and I, along with Debbie Hibbitts and her team, were honoured to receive the Partnership Excellence Award. This recognition holds significant meaning for everyone involved as it highlights the collective effort and strong collaborative partnership that underpin our work. We’re proud of what we have achieved together and deeply appreciate this acknowledgement.”