GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE POCKET– AN AUDIT OF WASTE GENERATION AND RECYCLING PRACTICES WITHIN AN IRISH ENDOSCOPY UNIT

Aims Ireland has one of the highest greenhouse gas emissions per capita in the EU, at 13.3 metric tons of CO2 equivalent/person. Healthcare accounts for 30% of all public sector greenhouse gas emissions. General waste accounts for almost 60% of waste generated in Irish hospitals. It has been estimated that 1/3 of this could be recycled. A large volume of recyclable waste is generated in Endoscopy, however sustainable practices are not currently promoted. This quality improvement project sought to determine the volume of recyclable waste generated within Endoscopy and whether use of green bin would be a cost-effective strategy.

Methods Waste generated by patient-related activity over one week was audited. Non-clinical and clinical waste was weighed and sorted, with the percentage of recyclable waste documented and net cost savings calculated. Reduction in carbon dioxide emissions (CO₂e) was calculated.

Table 1

Waste Type	Disposal Cost/Tonne
Clinical Waste	€2125
Non-Clinical Waste	€165
Green Waste	€85

Results In total, 70 non-clinical and 56 clinical waste bags were collected. Median weight for non-clinical waste was 20.1kg (IQR 19.7-21.7kg) and 40kg (IQR 28.8-39.0kg) for clinical waste. Median of 14.1kg (70.5%) of non-clinical and 3kg (7.5%) of clinical waste was recyclable. Disposal cost/tonne summarised in [Table 1]. Net savings of €86.5/week was generated, and a reduction in carbon footprint by 21.7kg CO₂e. This equates to a cost saving of €4,498 per year ([Figure 1]), and a reduction in CO₂e of 1,128.4kg.

Fig. 1

Conclusions This audit highlights the impact sustainable practices can have on waste management in Endoscopy. A considerable volume of waste generated can be recycled with significant cost savings and reductions in CO₂e.