SEATON hospital has signed up to a new recycling initiative to help reduce the NHS carbon footprint.

SEATON hospital has signed up to a new recycling initiative to help reduce the NHS' carbon footprint.

The decision comes after Devon Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Devon Partnership NHS Trust (DPT) became among one of the first NHS trusts to sign a recycling contract that segregates waste.

Diane Walker, matron at Seaton hospital, said: "We understand recycling is the way forward and the initiative will be a positive change for Seaton hospital. We're just awaiting the arrival of the new bins and then we'll be ready to go.

"Every patient bed area will have a bin for recycling paper products and there will be a central recycling area for plastic, glass and paper. We're also updating our patient information to let them know about the initiative, so that they can help by giving us their empty squash bottles and other things."

The contract is with a local Social Enterprise waste management company, Mid Devon Community Recycling.