Another assistive tech provider encourages mobility aid returns during National Recycle Week
As a part of Recycle Week 2022, NRS Healthcare encouraged residents with NRS Healthcare-labelled mobility aids they no longer need to drop them off at local household recycling centres and at drop-off bins, so they can be reused by someone else who needs them.
Recycle Week (17-23 October) takes place annually, with this year’s focus ‘Let’s Get Real’ aiming to challenge perceptions and myths around recycling and contamination to improve recycling behaviours.
For National Recycle Week 2022, NRS Healthcare has worked alongside multiple NHS trusts and local authorities across the country.
The provider has teamed up with Doncaster Council; Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust; Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Torbay Council; and Peterborough City Council to encourage residents to return equipment.
Paul Haley, NRS Healthcare Service Manager for Torbay, said: “There is an urgent need for equipment in the local community to free up hospital beds and allow people to live more independent lives. If NRS Healthcare equipment can be returned when no longer required, we can quickly get it to those in need.”
NRS Healthcare recycles all the donated equipment used. Once rigorous decontamination and safety checks have been carried out, it is then reused for people in the community. Equipment can be ready for redistribution in just three days.
Nigel Thacker, NRS Healthcare Development Director, commented: “NRS Healthcare supports tens of thousands of people each year, on behalf of councils and the NHS, by loaning vital equipment to people in the community.
“When that equipment is no longer needed, it is collected, serviced, maintained and repaired if needed, before being put back in stock ready to be used by those who need it. It is a core part of our business, with more than 80% of equipment being recycled, all year round.”
Recycling mobility aids not only helps carbon emissions and waste to landfill, but also saves the NHS and council thousands of pounds a year, the provider highlights.
Nigel continued: “Recycle Week is an opportunity for us to remind our service users and their carers or families, that they can return the equipment to us for free, no matter which area they live in.
“Several of our Integrated Community equipment Services have partnered with their local authorities and NHS Trusts to encourage people to hand back items, which in turn can help others in need. As well as helping to save public money and being good for the environment, this enables people to come home from hospital, freeing up hospital beds at a busy time for the NHS, and to live independently.”
NRS Healthcare supports people to live full, active, and independent lives for as long as possible. It loans more than 22,000 items of equipment each year on behalf of the council or NHS to support people in the community.
Recently, Staff from NRS Healthcare in Southampton took to the city centre over the weekend to raise money for the local paediatric unit and took the opportunity to talk to people about how they can return any community equipment they no longer need, so that it can be used by others.