Procuring a Zero Waste Mattress and Pillow Solution for HM Prison Service

As we reported in previous editions of GPS, FCP is emerging as an important tool for public sector procurers; transforming the market and delivering the innovative products and services we need to deliver sustainability on the ground.

The success of this first project is testament to the effectiveness of the approach and this project has been used as an example of good practice by BIS, HM Treasury, OGC and the National Audit Office.

As with all FCP projects, it began with the identification of a problem that needed a solution, an ‘unmet need’.

The problem

In Financial Year 07/08 HMPS bought in the order of 53,000 highly flame retardant, polyurethane foam mattresses and 48,000 pillows and subsequently disposed of around 40,000 items due to soiling, misuse and wear and tear.  The combined cost of supply and disposal was estimated conservatively to be in the region of £2.8 million per year, and set to increase as a result of regulatory drivers such as the Landfill Directive and Waste Framework Directive. Not only that, this was clearly out of step with Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) objectives.
 
Disposal of used mattresses was undertaken in a variety of ways and at different costs by individual prisons.  The majority of "end of life product" are disposed of to landfill but some were disposed of as clinical waste, at a high cost and in many cases, it transpires, unnecessarily.

It is estimated that the volume of HM Prison Service mattresses and pillows disposed of to landfill annually equates to 35 double decker buses and this practice does not help the MOJ achieve its Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) targets in this area.  
As well as the cost of this disposal, individual prisons were finding it increasingly difficult to have the products taken away by contractors due to the increasing demands on and restrictions on the use of landfill sites.

The context

From a security and prisoner management perspective, mattresses and pillows are a significant purchase for HMPS, and from a security and operational point of view the current mattresses were considered a great success, themselves being a result of innovation following the prison riots of the 1970s. Certainly any changes to the mattress itself would need to be subject to rigorous safety and security assessment.

The requirement - in outcome terms

Having identified a problem and deciding to do something about it, HMPS thought carefully about what was needed, and described this in outcome terms to allow scope for innovation:

By 2012, HMPS wants all its mattresses and pillows not classified as hazardous waste to be recycled, repurposed or reused instead of going to landfill and to reduce to 2 per cent pa the number of mattresses disposed of as hazardous or clinical waste (and by the way it needs to cost less).

Through a process of FCP market sounding and consultation, HMPS made sure that the market knew about the requirement, had time to develop new supply chains and innovate, and (critically) was convinced of their commitment to delivering the outcomes.

The response of the supply chain was excellent and as a result of the market engagement it was recommended in the procurement strategy that an OJEU competition was launched for the supply of a Fully Managed Service for Mattresses and Pillows that was environmentally friendly, be at the very least cost neutral and achieve a Zero Waste solution by 2012.

"The outcomes of this pioneering project have exceeded all expectations" Geoff Sykes, Head of National Procurement, MoJ.

And the results speak for themselves: innovative new covers will reduce turnover and all but eliminate the need for clinical waste disposal; as a result of no end of life mattresses will be sent to landfill, but instead will be recycled into useful products.

It doesn’t end here: HMPS are committed to auditing the zero waste outcomes of the contract; and will look to continual improvement in performance all aspects of the contract.

HMPS are now working with BIS to build on the success of this project and develop a second FCP project .towards zero waste prisons.

The success of this demonstration project is due in no small part to the outstanding leadership and commitment on the part of the HMPS team, and has inspired others across the public sector, showing just how effective innovative procurement and FCP in particular can be".  Gaynor Whyles, FCP Project Manager, Department for Innovation University and Skills/OGC Innovation for Sustainability programme

For more information about this project, contact Richard Hoy, Senior Buyer, MoJ richard.hoy01@hmps.gsi.gov.uk

For more information or to find out how you might develop an FCP project, Contact the BIS FCP Team:  Gaynor Whyles on 01666 57 5353, or David Williams on 020 3300 8690 or email FCP@BIS.gsi.gov.uk.