Handling 'carbon footprint' in orthopaedics

Area of Science:

• Environmental science
• Healthcare sustainability
• Waste management in medicine

Background:

• The National Health Service is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and public sector waste.
• Operating rooms generate a substantial portion (20%-33%) of hospital healthcare waste.
• Up to 90% of healthcare waste is unnecessarily processed as hazardous material.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify waste volume and types from common trauma and elective orthopaedic operations.
• To calculate the carbon footprint associated with processing surgical waste.
• To identify opportunities for waste reduction in orthopaedic surgery.

Main Methods:

• Waste from elective and trauma procedures was segregated into clean/contaminated and paper/plastic categories.
• Waste streams were meticulously weighed to determine quantities.
• Annual carbon footprints for each surgical procedure at participating sites were calculated.

Main Results:

• Elective procedures can yield up to 16.5kg of plastic waste per operation.
• Mean total plastic waste ranged from 6 to 12kg across analyzed hospital sites.
• A pilot program replacing disposable gowns with reusable ones reduced the carbon footprint by 66% and saved over £13,000.

Conclusions:

• Orthopaedic procedures have a notable environmental impact due to waste generation.
• A cultural shift towards sustainability and social responsibility is crucial for operating room environmental mitigation.
• Individual clinicians can influence the carbon footprint of their operating theatres through conscious practice changes.