[Packaging waste in the operating room]

Climate change is a central issue for our future. The increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere promotes the so-called greenhouse effect, resulting in climate change. Worldwide, the amount of plastic waste amounts to approximately 8 billion tons. The healthcare sector is responsible for around 4.4% of global net emissions contributing to the greenhouse effect. Measures to reduce CO₂ emissions within the healthcare sector should be implemented accordingly. To make the issue of plastic waste in the operational sector more visible, in the present study we examined and calculated the packaging waste generated in the treatment of distal radius fractures.

The clinic stocks two different implants (sterile packaging = group I vs. implant tray = group II) for the treatment of distal radius fractures. Over a period of 12 months (July 2022-July 2023), the packaging waste from all surgically treated distal radius fractures was collected and weighed. The time required to retrieve, unpack and provide the implants in both groups (referred to as preparation time) was measured. Patient data were recorded in a dedicated register and statistical significances were calculated.

A total of 124 distal radius fractures were treated. The average age of the cohort was 67.9 years with 74.2% being female. The system with sterile individual packaging (group I) was used for fracture treatment 29 times, while the system with the screw tray (group II) was used 94 times. For treatment with sterile packaging 104.5g of plastic waste and 67.4g of plastic-free packaging waste were generated per operation, while treatment with the implant tray resulted in 21.6g of plastic waste and 12.8g of plastic-free packaging waste (p = 0.0001). The average time for providing the screws in group I was significantly higher at 527.8 s compared to treatment with the implant tray in group II at 138 s (p = 0.0001).

In the present study we found a significant increase in plastic waste when using individually packaged implants. To reduce the production of plastic waste, mandatory guidelines for waste separation in the operating room appear to be sensible. Measures such as the return and recycling of recyclable plastic waste as well as improvements in packaging design and the use of bio-based biodegradable and compostable plastics, represent further possibilities for waste reduction.