Scientists from the Brighton and Sussex School of Medicine and the University of Warwick found that disposable surgical products account for two-thirds of the carbon footprint of products used in surgical procedures. Research published Journal of the Royal Medical Society.
The authors reviewed the five most common types of surgery performed in the UK. They found that 68% of carbon emissions come from disposable products such as bathrobes and sheets. However, relatively few products (23%) accounted for more than 80% of a product’s carbon footprint. This indicates that strategies to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with surgery should focus on a few of the products that emit the most, typically large disposable (usually plastic) items.
Strategies to reduce our carbon footprint can reduce emissions by a third and include eliminating non-sterile gloves that can be replaced by hand washing and removing rarely used items from tool bags.
Researchers also suggest that there are reusable alternatives to a number of high-carbon disposables. There is also no evidence that reusable surgical fabrics, which provide a significant reduction in carbon footprint, can affect the outcome of operations.