Recycling glass and metal in the anaesthetic room

Shelton, Cliff; Abou-Samra, M.; Rothwell, Matt

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2044.2011.07041.x

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…Each theatre produces 2300 kg of waste per year and while only 10% of NHS waste is currently recycled it is estimated that 40% of anaesthetic waste could be recycled. 18 Domestic waste is ultimately disposed of via dwindling landfill capacity or via incineration.…”

Section: Anaesthesia Related Electrical Energy Consumptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Atmospheric science, anaesthesia, and the environment

Campbell

Pierce

2015

BJA Education

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Section: Anaesthesia Related Electrical Energy Consumptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Atmospheric science, anaesthesia, and the environment

Campbell

Pierce

2015

BJA Education

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“…Approximately 25% of OR waste is generated by anaesthetists – of which 40–60% is recyclable (Enzor and Pierce, 2013; McGain et al, 2009; Shelton et al, 2012). A large portion of this recyclable waste is glass, a material that involves a carbon-intensive process to produce (Shelton et al, 2012). Plastics form almost half of the total anaesthetic waste volume (McGain et al, 2009).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Operating room greening initiatives – the old, the new, and the way forward: A narrative review

2018

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Healthcare waste is a rampant issue in Australian hospitals. The operating room (OR) contributes disproportionately to total hospital waste. There has been considerable research in the literature concentrating on strategies to improve OR and hospital waste accumulation, in an attempt to provide guidance and direction on how to reduce the healthcare ecological footprint. We reviewed the literature for leading greening initiatives currently utilised in the OR in Australia and internationally. This narrative literature review focuses on the trend of OR greening initiatives over the last 25 years, comparing different innovative approaches, the successes and setbacks, and the financial implications of initiatives. A variety of measures that hospital management, surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and other healthcare personnel can take to reduce the ecological footprint of their healthcare facility are outlined. Greening initiatives include reducing, recycling, reusing, rethinking and researching, as well as novel technology and smarter architectural design. We also evaluated the barriers to improving waste management, which include lack of leadership, misconceptions among staff, and an overall resistance to change. In conclusion, in a world where greenhouse gas emissions cause unprecedented climate change and landfill space is finite, it is incumbent upon hospitals to help reduce the environmental impact of their facility. Reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions would moderate the incidence of human disease, save money for the healthcare system and society as a whole, and contribute to a safer and healthier world we all would like to live in.

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“…20-25 % des Abfalls, der in Kliniken anfällt, entsteht im OP-Trakt [33]. Etwa ein Viertel dieses Abfalls entfällt auf die Anästhesie, was einer jährlichen anästhesiebedingten Abfallproduktion von etwa 2300 kg pro OP-Saal entspricht [34], der zu 41-60 % (vor allem Glas, Papier und Kunststoff) recycelt werden könnte [34,35].…”

Section: Abfallunclassified