Supported by Health Care Without Harm, Bupa launches new global whitepaper: ‘Catalysing action on single-use items in healthcare’.
As the use of single-use items (SUI) in healthcare continues to increase, posing a significant environmental threat, Bupa is bringing attention to this issue. Supported by Health Care Without Harm, Bupa has launched a detailed global report which outlines key principles for reducing reliance on single-use items in healthcare, while ensuring that the highest standards of patient care are maintained. The global report provides practical, actionable steps and highlights the need for further research into the health and environmental impacts of single-use materials.
The recommendations include:
For global healthcare providers:
- Establish governance structures and a cross-departmental programme team to co-ordinate and drive action.
- Review organisational waste policies, processes, and infrastructure, incorporating behaviour change principles where relevant.
- Identify products and suppliers who provide more sustainable alternatives to single-use items.
- Engage with external suppliers to identify innovation needed and internal teams to commence a programme of work.
- Gather data or commission research into cost, carbon, and health outcome impacts.
And across the global healthcare sector:
- Collaborate with external partners and participate in regional / global networks to share insights, such as the recently announced partnership between Bupa UK and University of Manchester to develop new methods and strategies to reduce the healthcare sector’s environmental impact.
- Facilitate the delivery of engagement and training initiatives for healthcare staff and employees likely to be involved in, or affected by, the shift towards more sustainable items.
Nigel Sullivan, Chief Sustainability and People Officer, Bupa, said: “We strongly believe that people’s health and wellbeing are inherently linked to the environments in which they live. Climate change is a major threat to human health, and we can’t escape the fact that the healthcare sector is part of this problem – it generates 4.4% of global emissions1 and creates millions of tonnes of waste per year2. There is an urgent need to tackle the waste that the healthcare industry generates – particularly that from single-use items – and this report aims to increase visibility of the issue, spotlight organisations making positive progress, and showcase solutions that are currently available.
“While we know we don’t have all the answers, this report is a testament to our continued commitment to work collaboratively with other organisations to drive positive change. Together with Health Care Without Harm, we are fast-tracking a shift toward sustainable healthcare across our global operations, reducing the environmental impact of the care we provide, and encouraging others to join us on this essential mission.”
Gary Cohen, President and Co-founder, Health Care Without Harm, said: “Working together with Bupa, we remain committed to educate the healthcare sector about the overuse of single-use items, especially plastics, and provide leadership for why reduction is both possible and financially efficient around the world. The report is a first step in this essential process to help healthcare come into greater alignment with its ethical mission to “first, do no harm.””
Read more about sustainable healthcare.
1 The Road Map | Health Care Climate Action
2 Sustainable healthcare waste management in the EU Circular Economy model
Media enquiries
Molly Morgan, Group External Communications Director: [email protected]
About Bupa
Established in 1947, Bupa's purpose is helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world. We are an international healthcare company serving over 50 million customers worldwide. With no shareholders, we reinvest profits into providing more and better healthcare for the benefit of current and future customers. Bupa has businesses around the world, principally in the UK, Australia, Spain, Chile, Poland, New Zealand, Hong Kong SAR, Türkiye, Brazil, Mexico and India. We also have associate businesses in Saudi Arabia.
Read more about Bupa's sustainability strategy.
About Healthcare Without Harm
Health Care Without Harm is an international organisation dedicated to providing resources, knowledge, and inspiration for the health care sector to help reduce its environmental impact. For the past three decades, we have been advocating for the environment and our health.
We are a global community of sustainable health care experts and strategic partners with a common goal: healthy people on a healthy planet.
