Improving the environmental impact paradox of clinical medical laboratories

The global healthcare system is a substantial contributor to planetary greenhouse gas emissions and the climate crisis. Healthcare also has additional negative effects on the environment through the pollution of water, soil, and air, and the generation of general and regulated biomedical waste. The healthcare system's lagging sustainability has both direct and indirect consequences for human health, these factors present a paradox. Healthcare Without Harm has estimated that global healthcare systems are emitting two gigatons of carbon dioxide yearly, accounting for 4.4% of total global net emissions. Healthcare systems should address their negative environmental impact, while still treating patients to the highest standards of care. Laboratories are resource-intensive spaces and should be a principal consideration when addressing the overall sustainability strategy of a healthcare system. Clinical medical laboratories, in particular, have often not optimised operations for sustainability, and have overlooked carbon emissions. The last decade has seen slow adoption of sustainable practices in clinical diagnostic laboratories even though numerous tools and programs are available for implementation, a disappointing result that also suggests an opportunity for rapid and dramatic improvement. This article will describe.