18643 Elis Thread LCA Supplement[2] - Flipbook - Page 4
Sustainability is now more
important than ever, and
with the NHS’s ambitious
target to achieve a net
zero health service by
2045 it is essential that the
organisation works closely
with suppliers to identify
areas where carbon savings
can be made.
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With operating theatres
estimated to account for
one quarter of all hospital
waste1, this undoubtedly
puts surgical procedures
and the amount of waste
they generate under
the spotlight.
In the UK, research has shown that a typical surgical
operation has a carbon footprint of 173kgCO2e, which is
the equivalent of driving from London to Edinburgh in a
petrol car2. A major contributor to this is the vast amount
of equipment disposed of after each procedure. Even
a straightforward tonsillectomy has been shown to
generate over 100 pieces of disposable plastic waste3,
and a video made4 by spatial artist Maria Koijck provides
a powerful visual representation of the sheer amount
of waste generated by breast reconstruction surgery
following a mastectomy.
The NHS is the largest user of disposable plastics in
Europe and creates 133,000 tonnes of plastic waste
annually, with only 5% of it being recyclable5. Until
recently, many of these disposable plastics have been
regarded as necessary due to the fact they allow for
easy maintenance of a sterile healthcare environment.
However, with concerns around sustainability and the
urgent need to reduce the reliance on such items if the
NHS is to achieve its zero carbon ambitions, it is essential
that Trusts work together to adopt strategies that will
eliminate the use of such disposable products wherever
possible and practical.
The disposable myth
Surgical textiles are a case in point, providing an
opportunity for the NHS to deliver significant carbon
savings, but the use of disposable gowns and other
items – such as drapes and tray wraps – is still prevalent
within many operating theatres. There are a number
of factors behind this, including the outdated view
of some healthcare professionals that disposable
perioperative textiles offer superior protection. While
this could once potentially be said, it is simply no
longer the case. Advances in technology and the
introduction of highly engineered fabrics now mean
that today’s reusable surgical textiles outperform
disposable products on quality, fabric resistance
and linting.
Misconceptions about the performance of reusable
textiles compared to disposable counterparts are
further reinforced by the fact that many recent reviews
fail to recognise the technological advancements
in fabrics and the introduction of EU standards for
surgical textiles, instead continuing to focus on earlier
studies to support the use of disposable fabrics over
reusable alternatives6.
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