NHS Lothian has just become the first NHS Board in Scotland to appoint a Circular Economy and Waste Minimisation Manager.
Sophie Rippinger, who takes on this exciting new role, will lead on the task of embedding the circular economy model in NHS Lothian. This model aims to eliminate waste and the continual use of resources. This is a big difference from traditional linear economy models, which follow a ‘take, make, dispose’ approach.
Sophie has a Postgraduate Degree in Environmental Law and is a Chartered Waste Manager. She has worked across a wide range of industries to maximise re-use, repair and operational efficiency. She has worked with companies to make things last by closing loops, maintaining assets and potentially changing the use of items to keep them alive in a new lifecycle.
Sophie says: “Joining NHS Lothian as Circular Economy and Waste Minimisation Manager is a fantastic opportunity to have a positive impact, showcase good product management and transform health services to be more environmentally sustainable and resilient.”
Sophie will work as part of the NHS Lothian Environmental Sustainability team to support departments across the entire organisation.
Jane Hopton NHS Lothian Environmental Sustainability Lead said: “Moving to a circular economy model is essential to the delivery of an environmentally sustainable NHS.
“We know that minimising waste and maximising reuse is a priority for many of our staff and is key to providing environmentally sustainable models of care. Sophie’s experience, enthusiasm and expertise will lead us to think differently and act more sustainably.”
To find out more about NHS Lothian’s sustainability work go to https://org.nhslothian.scot/sustainability/
