New case study: On-site circular solutions for food waste

In 2020, the Hunter Brain Injury Service, part of the Hunter New England Local Health District, launched a patient-led food waste management program that aims at improving patient recovery, fostering social interaction, promoting outdoor activities, and increasing awareness of the importance of nutrition.

This case study was featured in “Nature Positive for Climate Action: A Compendium of Case Studies”, published by Race to Zero, Race to Resilience, Global Commons Alliance, and Accountability Accelerator.

The team identified food waste as the main source of waste produced by the hospital and developed a program to manage food waste on-site, reduce the amount sent to landfills, and contribute to patient recovery. 

A small-scale compost system and worm farm were installed to process food waste. The resulting compost and worm castings are fed into the garden, which supplies fresh products that are later used for meal preparation. A therapy garden and bush tucker yarning circle were also developed for the project and are used as spaces for social interaction and therapy.

Patients participate in the entire lifecycle of the project, from collecting food waste from the kitchen to selecting and growing different species for the garden, managing pests, and harvesting vegetables that are later used for meal preparation.

Some of the project outcomes:

• Food waste diverted from landfills: 120 kg per year
• Reduction of emissions: 130 kg of CO2e
• Average reduction of patient food spend: 49%

Interested in learning more? Read the complete case study.