Why is it important to reduce healthcare waste?
Climate change is having a direct, and increasing effect on human health. Severe weather and fires harm people and disrupt the health system's ability to deliver patient care. Health, like all other sectors, is contributing to climate change through its daily activity. Reducing waste is important because:
- Climate change is causing numerous health consequences to people and communities
- These negative consequences have a greater impact on at risk groups
- Climate change disrupts the health system's ability to deliver care due to evacuations, power outages, infrastructure damage and supply shortages
Waste management is not often thought of as a value-added service. That must change because protecting our environment is of tremendous value. Proper management of healthcare waste and reductions in energy consumption will improve ecological sustainability and the health of our patients and communities.
Current healthcare pollution research provides some insight regarding areas for improvement.
Reduce the amount of solid waste
According to the World Health Organization, 85% of waste arising from healthcare is general, non-hazardous waste similar to household waste. The remaining 15% is hazardous, regulated medical waste (RMW) and includes sharps, infectious, toxic and radioactive materials.
Recent studies indicate that U.S. healthcare annually produces more than 4 million tons of solid waste. Single-use plastics are estimated to comprise 25% of that waste, or 1 million tons.
Keeping healthcare waste out of landfills and incinerators will reduce emissions, improve sustainability and have a direct benefit to the health of patients and communities. This can be done through improved recycling of general waste and reduced use of single-use, disposable medical supplies.
Orthopedic sports surgeons have the option to enhance their sustainability efforts by using Tigon Medical's GreenRepair® instrument sets and products. GreenRepair® products and instruments are sustainable because its reusable instruments paired with a significant reduction in packaging means less solid waste and a lower carbon footprint.
Reduce greenhouse gas carbon emissions
Healthcare's carbon footprint is estimated to be 4.4% net of global emissions. The U.S. health sector is responsible for about a quarter of those greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Healthcare related GHG emissions in the United States have increased 6% between 2010 and 2018 to over 500 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Understanding the sources of those emissions is helpful in deciding how, and where to reduce them.
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol provides a set of standards to measure greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). These standards categorize sources of healthcare emissions as:
- Scope 1: Emissions directly from sources owned or controlled by healthcare – around 7%
- Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the generation or energy purchased by health systems – around 11%
- Scope 3: All other indirect emissions from the manufacture, transport and disposal of goods and services used by the health sector, including medical supplies, devices and instruments – more than 80%
At 80%, Scope 3 emissions from the healthcare supply chain are the largest source. It is also the area where healthcare organizations have the least control. In order to reduce Scope 3 climate impact, it is important to seek suppliers and manufacturers that are committed to sustainable products with a reduced carbon footprint.
Tigon Medical has responded to this challenge by creating a line of sustainable GreenRepair® sports surgery instrument sets and products. Each and every GreenRepair® surgery creates an inherently smaller carbon footprint because its reusable instruments and products create up to 7 times less waste per case.
The health impact of climate change is happening today. The time to act is now – we must all do our part to reduce emissions and waste.
