Walking Aids Recycling Scheme

Our Therapies Department at Velindre Cancer Centre issue hundreds of walking aids each year to support patient mobility, independence, and recovery.

Walking aids can include sticks, crutches and Zimmer frames. Most of these can be safely refurbished and recycled back into use, which would save thousands of pounds for the NHS every year.

We'd like to recycle as many walking aids as possible and this relies on support from patients and their loved ones. By quickly retuning any walking aids you no longer need, it helps us to provide them to future patients as soon as possible.

Hear more from Helena Goode, a Specialist Physiotherapist in our Therapies Department, about the importance of recycling walking aids.
 

How to access this service

Our walking aids recycling shed is named ‘Y Sied’ and it's located in the rear radiotherapy car park.

All you need to do is drop-off any used walking aids into the Y Sied and our staff will then do the rest. It’s that simple!

If you require any further information about the service, please contact our Therapies Department on: 029 2061 5888.

This service is only for walking aids that were previously issued by Velindre Cancer Centre.

The environmental impact

Our Walking Aids Recycling Scheme aims to:

• Reduce waste by preventing walking aids being disposed of in landfill.
• Save costs by reusing walking aids that can be safely recycled.
• Prevent carbon emission by stopping landfill disposal and supply chain emissions.

By returning walking aids to Velindre Cancer Centre, you're not just helping us to save money. You're also helping us to decarbonise and make our services more sustainable. For example, did you know reusing a walking aid is on average 98% lower in carbon emissions than ordering a new walking aid?
 

Working with the community

To deliver this project, we needed to construct an outdoor shed so that patients could drop-off their used walking aids without the need to enter the clinical environment.

To achieve this, we brought together Walters UK, our new Velindre Cancer Centre Enabling Works partners, and the Men’s Shed community group.

Using materials recycled from the new Velindre Cancer Centre site and with support from Walters UK, Men’s Shed built a shed to the unique specifications outlined by our Therapies Department.

We're delighted with the results of this partnership, which supports our scheme to reduce waste, save costs and prevent carbon emissions.