Environmental Sustainability in the Cardiac Catheter Laboratory

Abstract

The health care sector contributes to nearly 5% of global carbon emissions with the exponential growth of medical waste posing a significant challenge to environmental sustainability. As the impact of climate change on individuals and population health becomes increasingly more apparent, the health care system's significant impact on the environment is also raising concerns. Hospitals contribute disproportionately to health care waste with the majority arising from resource intensive areas such as operating theatres and cardiac catheter labs (CCLs). Despite the growing volume of cardiac procedures worldwide, initiatives to reduce waste from CCLs have received limited attention, overlooking opportunities for significant reduction in operational costs and carbon footprint. We aim to raise awareness of the current landscape of waste management in CCLs. We identify areas of resource optimisation and highlight practical strategies and frameworks employed elsewhere in health care to reduce waste. Importantly, we hope to empower health care workers in CCLs to make a meaningful change to their practice and contribute towards a more sustainable future.

Keywords: Cath-lab; Environment; Green; Recycling; Sustainable; Waste.