Authors:   T Grimmond, A Bright, J Cadman, J Dixon, S Ludditt, C Robinson, C Topping

Publication:   British Medical Journal Open, BMJ Open 2021 https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/9/e046200.info

Summary: 

What is the study?

The study investigated the National Health Service England’s (NHS) 2020 commitment to being the world’s first "net zero" NHS through, “…reducing waste, unnecessary plastics, and single-use items.” 

The article compared the impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, plastic manufactured and cardboard used, of 40 acute NHS Trust hospitals converting from single-use sharps containers to reusable sharps containers. 

What did we learn?

In the 12 months following conversion to reusable sharps containers, the combined results for the 40 Trusts were: 

• GWP reduction of 3,267.4 tons of CO2e (-83.9%). 
• Elimination of incineration of 900.8 tons of plastic. 
• Elimination of disposal/recycling of 132.5 tons of cardboard. 
• Elimination of manufacture of 1.7 million single-use sharps containers
• A 61.1% reduction in labor required for sharps container exchanges. 
   

'Adopting reusable sharps containers is an example of a sustainable purchasing decision that can assist trusts in meeting NHS greenhouse gas reduction targets and can reduce global warming potential permanently with minimal staff behavioural change.'

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