Here's where you can drop off your unwanted medical supplies across North Yorkshire to save the NHS 'hundreds of thousands'

New recycling bins have been installed at household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) across North Yorkshire and York in partnership with Medequip, which provides community equipment services to local authorities and the NHS across the UK.

The aim is to promote the recycling of old medical equipment including crutches, walking frames and bed levers that residents may have been given from hospital.

Local NHS and social care services lose thousands of pounds each year due to missing equipment.

All items returned will be assessed, safety tested and either repaired and reused or stripped down for recycling.

Cllr Derek Bastiman, executive member for waste management at North Yorkshire County Council, said: “The bins will make it easier for people to get rid of any unwanted medical equipment that may be cluttering up their house.

“Unfortunately perfectly good medical equipment does make its way into domestic waste so we want to change this trend.

"The dedicated bins are in place at all of our recycling centres and staff will be on hand for anybody who needs assistance with larger items.”

Wendy Balmain, the North Yorkshire director of NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, welcomed the new drop-off points and added: “All sorts of equipment provided free of charge to help people after accidents or to keep older people independent for longer is never returned, costing the NHS hundreds of thousands of pounds every year.”

Visit the county council’s website at www.northyorks.gov.uk/medical-equipment to find your nearest HWRC.