Greening the Operating Room: A Quality Improvement Initiative to Boost Recycling.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Sustainability
• Waste Management in Clinical Settings
• Environmental Impact of Surgical Operations

Background:

• Operating rooms generate substantial single-use plastic waste due to strict sterility protocols.
• Limited recycling in ORs stems from workflow challenges, unclear waste segregation, and insufficient staff training.
• A quality improvement initiative was launched to enhance plastic and paper recycling rates in the OR.

Purpose of the Study:

• To increase the percentage of recycled waste in ORs by 50% (from 5% to 7.5%) within six months at Singapore General Hospital.
• To evaluate changes in staff environmental awareness and the intervention's environmental and operational impact.

Main Methods:

• The Sustainable Quality Improvement (SusQI) framework guided the project: goal setting, system analysis, improvement design, and impact measurement.
• Interventions included implementing duo-bin systems, educational posters, and staff engagement through talks.
• Success was assessed using quantitative (recyclable weight, knowledge improvement) and qualitative (end-user feedback) measures across environmental, social, and process domains.

Main Results:

• OR recycling rates doubled from 5% to 10% post-intervention.
• Monthly CO2 equivalent emissions were reduced by 2024.7 kg.
• Staff awareness of recyclable materials in the OR increased significantly from 51% to 97.3%.

Conclusions:

• Effective recycling in busy ORs is achievable through enhanced bin accessibility, clear education, and fostering a recycling culture.
• This project offers a replicable model for healthcare teams to integrate sustainability into clinical practice, contributing to greener healthcare systems.