Publish date: 25 March 2026
Environmental days held this year focused on increasing sustainability and finding ways to reduce carbon emissions during the year.
Hospital staff, including doctors, nurses and other clinical and non-clinical staff, joined in with activities to learn more practical ways to save water at home and at work.
The days aimed to boost water efficiency and support further progress on the joint Green Plan at Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust and Stockport NHS Foundation Trust.
Increasing water efficiency can help reduce carbon emissions, accelerating decarbonisation actions. Business water retailer Water Plus delivered engagement and awareness sessions at Tameside Hospital and Stepping Hill Hospital to promote water saving tips for staff.
Laura Swann, Sustainability Manager at the trusts, said “By working together, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust and Water Plus are empowering staff with simple, practical ways to save water every day.
"This partnership strengthens our commitment to sustainability, helping us protect vital resources, reduce environmental impact, and build a greener future for our community.”
In August 2025, a Joint Green Plan was adopted by the two trusts to reach net zero by 2040, for emissions they directly control (the NHS Carbon Footprint). It also set a Net Zero target of 2045 for emissions the Trusts can influence (NHS Carbon Footprint Plus).
The joined-up programme allows best practice to be shared across both organisations to drive further progress towards the Net Zero targets. It follows Stockport NHS Foundation Trust’s Green Plan, launched in 2022, with recent environmental initiatives including tree-planting at the trust, in the last year.
The two trusts are also adding data loggers onto water meters, in their proactive water management approach with Water Plus. This will help the Trusts to build further operational resilience and identify more efficiency opportunities, with daily water data feeding into an analysis portal from the loggers.
During the events, Water Plus ran a quiz to get staff engaging in water awareness, including how many litres of water could be used in a 6-minute shower. Shower-timers were provided for staff as part of the engagement days, which saw more than 100 people working at the trusts involved.
Dan Hutchins, a Water Plus Key Account Manager who works with both Trusts and ran the collaborative awareness events, said “A running tap could use between 6 litres and 9 litres a minute and many hadn’t realised how much water can be used in that time.
"Doing the event and the quiz really helped people identify more actions to consider and take, including the importance of reporting dripping taps to facilities teams.
“It was great to engage with staff in such a wide range of roles at the two trusts, who were all aware of how to report any signs of a leak at sites, which was great to see. The day emphasised how everyone can make a difference to cut water use where it’s not needed.
“Water efficiency at work and at home are really important topics and it was clear that staff at the Trust were more aware of how – and where – they’re using water.”
