International Zero Waste Day is celebrated every year on the 30th March, with the aim of raising awareness of the waste produced in our daily lives. At HNP, we have decided to highlight a great local zero waste initiative that not only saves the planet, but saves lives in the process.
What is Project Soweto?
Project Soweto began back in 2018 in a small garage just outside of Hull, home to founding member Rocky Clark. It's now based out of a warehouse in Hull. The project collects out-of-date First Aid supplies, aprons, splints, trauma kits and other medical supplies that may be considered unusable in the UK. Items are sorted into what is usable and those that are not. For those that are deemed unfit for use on humans, it's not the end of the line! They can often go to animal rescue charities, or will be taken apart and recycled into their components. For items that are sterile or can be re-sterilised, they become First Aid Kits and other medical kits. These kits are then sent out as humanitarian aid to places such as Soweto in South Africa where emergency medical care often has very slow response times. Rocky travels to Soweto and teaches school children and community groups vital first aid skills and gifts children with their own individual First Aid Kit. Recent international conflict has also seen Rocky help provide humanitarian aid to the front lines of Ukraine.
Not only do these kits save lives, but Rocky estimates he reduces around 20-35 tonnes of waste from going to landfill every year.
How can you help?
First Aid Equipment (either whole boxes or individual items) have a “Use By” date. This is usually based on how long the packaging lasts before it becomes non-sterile. The majority of these kits go to non-recyclable waste streams (landfill/incineration). Although First Aid Kits need to be sterile, in some parts of the world where emergency medical care is not widely available, an out-of-date kit might be the difference between life or death. Next time you are checking your kits, keep an eye out for these out-of-date items and pop them to one side. Drop us an email at info@humbernature.co.uk or fill in the contact form, so we can arrange a pick up for larger amounts of kit. Or you can drop smaller bits into Waters' Edge Visitor Centre. Every little bit helps, no item is too big or too small. If everyone saved their out-of-date medical equipment, not only would we prevent thousands of tonnes of waste, but we could also provide help to many others that need it.
