The environmental impact of tray-line packaging waste at an Australian tertiary hospital: Retrospective observational study.

Aims: To quantify the volume of tray-line packaging waste at an Australian metropolitan tertiary hospital and explore current disposal methods and their environmental impact.

Methods: The patient menu ordering system was used to retrospectively quantify packaged menu items served on the tray-line from March 2023 to March 2024, with some of the data extrapolated from a 3-month period to provide an estimate of 12-month quantities. The packaged weight of all menu items was multiplied by the number of times they were plated and served to patients. Carbon emissions (expressed as carbon equivalents) were calculated using the methods outlined in the Australian Government National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2023.

Results: Packaging waste was analysed for 1068 main meals and 712 mid-meals over 365 days. Sixteen tonnes of food packaging was sent to patients, all of which was sent to landfill. This equates to 7.73 tonnes of carbon equivalents. Of this food packaging, 9.4 tonnes of waste (60%) had the potential to be recycled and diverted from landfill.

Conclusion: This study quantified the annual packing waste generated from this tertiary hospital food service tray-line. Implementation of a recycling system could divert significant packaging waste from landfill and reduce carbon emissions.