Communicate to Separate An Exploratory Study on the Current Waste Management Process of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals’ Surgical Department and its Possibilities to Recycle Plastic

Abstract

This study explores the current waste management process of the Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals’ (DCSCA) surgical department, to fulfil the need for information and clarity regarding this process and to investigate how other comparable organisations have implemented sustainable changes into their waste management process. To provide this much-needed information an exploratory qualitative study with descriptive methods has been conducted over a period of three months. The results provide insights into the current waste management process at the DCSCA’s surgical department, and pinpoint how the corresponding guidelines adhere to the Dutch law. Possibilities regarding plastic recycling were investigated. From the results, it can be concluded that the current waste management process of the DCSCA’s surgical department’s waste is in correspondence to the Dutch law and policies regarding the separation of waste, but that there is a strong need for reassessment concerning the current communication and supervision of these guidelines. Furthermore, the results confirm plastic recycling possibilities for the DCSCA’s surgical department. The researcher is confident that this research poses a strong first step in the implementation of sustainable changes in the waste management process of the DCSCA’s surgical department.