Through the green lens : sustainable solutions in endoscopy

Abstract

The global threat of climate change is becoming ever more evident over recent years with natural disasters becoming the order of the day. Reducing healthcare’s carbon footprint has never been so crucial. Endoscopy is regarded as a major contributor to healthcare waste and is considered to be the third highest waste generator in hospitals. Main factors contributing to this high waste generation include the need for sterility and decontamination and the use of non-recyclable disposable items. As clinicians, we should have both vested interest and responsibility in ensuring the implementation of measures aimed at mitigating the negative effects our endoscopic practice can have on the environment, whilst ensuring patient care remains a priority. Recent guidelines, backed by a joint European consensus, aim to underline practical approaches to a more sustainable endoscopy unit. In this editorial, we highlight how these employ the three Rs; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - as core principles in the fight to tackle waste management in this area of our practice.