06 Linda Sweet and Vidanka Vasilevski
Channel: Virtual Midwives
Date: 12/05/2023

The Green Maternity project: A midwife-led initiative to promote correct waste segregation on an Australian postnatal ward

Facilitators: Paola Wilkin and Diana Adarmes

Waste disposal is a significant cost to healthcare organisations. This study sought to understand the impact of a midwife-led intervention to improve waste segregation on staff knowledge and attitudes, waste volume, and waste management-related costs. 

Design: A multi-method study including pre and post intervention staff waste management knowledge and attitude surveys and waste audits of bins located on the postnatal ward. 

Methods: The intervention included education sessions, posters and signage by waste bins, and monthly newsletters distributed throughout 2021 to raise staff awareness of correct waste segregation processes. Pre-and post-intervention surveys were distributed in early 2021 and early 2022 respectively. The waste audits occurred on three occasions in 2021. The waste audit included total waste in kilograms, waste in kilograms by segregation, and identification of correct and incorrect segregation. Waste audit and quantitative staff survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi square. Qualitative data from the staff surveys were analysed using content analysis. 

Results: Knowledge and attitudes to waste management were similar across pre- and post-intervention staff surveys. Knowledge of accurate allocation of specific items to waste streams was variable with errors identified in both the pre-and post-surveys. Waste audit data showed reductions in clinical waste at each measurement, with a 71.2% decrease in clinical waste from baseline to the final audit. The accuracy of waste segregation also improved from the baseline to final audit, resulting in a 48% reduction in waste management costs. 

Conclusion: The midwife-led initiative improved waste segregation and achieved waste management cost reduction.