Environmental waste in health care

doi:10.1136/bmj.b1129

Published 24 March 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b1129
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b1129

Editorials

Environmental waste in health care

Must be reduced for the overall carbon reduction strategy tosucceed

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In the linked analysis article (doi:10.1136/bmj.b609), Hutchinsand White describe an audit of anaesthetic waste collected fromsix theatres in one teaching hospital in the United Kingdomand identify potential improvements in the management of suchwaste.¹ Around 540 kg of solid anaesthetic waste was produced(about 2300 kg per theatre per year), 40% of which was potentiallyrecyclable paper, card, plastic, and glass. Analysis of fivesharps bins found that only 4% by weight was true sharps waste(needles and broken glass)—57% was glass and 39% was "other"(packaging, plastic, metal, and fluid).

Last year’s World Health Assembly adopted a powerful resolutionon climate change, which not only warned of the stark consequencesfor human health but also identified how the health sector shouldrespond to the profound changes taking place in the global ecosystem.²The direct contribution of the health sector to environmentaldegradation is however . . . [Full text of this article]

Gabriel Scally, regional director of public health

¹ South West Strategic Health Authority, Taunton, Somerset TA1 2PX

gabriel.scally@southwest.nhs.uk