Publish date: 20 September 2023
Meet Maggie Skinner, a Portering and Waste Supervisor at the Trust who's making a difference this Recycle Awareness Week (18-24 September). She’s been transforming the meaning of recycling by turning single-use plastics like crisp packets into essentials for rough sleepers.
Crisp packets can take up to 80 years to decompose, making them one of the least recyclable packaging materials. But through the Crisp Packet Project (CPP), these repurposed materials, once destined for landfills, are now providing warmth and comfort to those experiencing homelessness.
As a Trust, our vision is to become one of the most environmentally conscious Trusts in the NHS, and developed a Green Plan to help meet our carbon reduction, air pollution, and waste targets. Maggie has been on a mission to significantly reduce single-use plastic going to waste and saw an incredible opportunity for patients to be part of this meaningful cause after hearing about the initiative on social media last year:
“I wanted to reduce the single-waste plastics around the hospital and it’s one initiative we can really support with our patients. I really want to thank them for their help.”
The blankets (also known as survival sheets) can be used in several ways such as ground sheets or as sleeping bags to sit inside to keep warm. They work with the silver lining of the crisp packets reflecting body heat to offer warmth and the strong material in the crisp packets, plus plastic fused onto them makes them a flexible and strong long-lasting material.
The innovative survival blankets are crafted from washed and dried silver-lined crisp packets, which are ironed and fused together. They’re then coated in a protective outer layer of one-use plastic – such as the outer layer of toilet roll - to make them waterproof and durable. The blankets are then sent to the CPP Headquarters in Hastings where they’re then sent to those in need through local outreach and community centres.
It takes an impressive 250 crisp packets to create one blanket, and Maggie has already received over 500 packets. They can take between an hour and a half to 2 hours to make, depending on their size. In addition to blankets, patients are also crafting pillows, drawstring bags, wash bags, and reusable bags for those in need.
One patient involved in the project said: “We wanted to help the homeless because we felt that if we can’t keep them off the streets, at least we can keep them warm” and have plans to hold a raffle to raise further funds for homeless charities.
Well done, Maggie!
Read more about the Trust's Green Plan here.