Sustainability interventions in nursing wards
General resources
Reusable baby bottle
Disposable baby bottles used for feeding have a considerable environmental impact due to the high consumption rates in hospitals1, even though reusable alternatives are available. A reusable glass baby bottle is the preferred option2.
Intervention
Replace disposable baby bottles with reusable ones.
Exclusion: This intervention applies only to baby bottles provided by the hospital for feeding. Reusable bottles brought in by parents are not included.
Environmental impact
Measured in CO₂ emissions, based on the reduction in disposable baby bottles and the reuse of reusable bottles.
Implementation approach
Look at the implementation approach for a (reusable) product and consult the step-by-step guide for more information on setting objectives, implementation and evaluation.
When is it implemented?
This intervention is considered implemented when nursing units that use baby bottles have switched to reusable ones and the difference in CO₂-equivalent (kg) has been calculated.
How this is measured?
Determine the number of disposable baby bottles using the purchase data.
The environmental impact of this intervention can be determined using the purchase data for the number of disposable baby bottles, see method of measuring intervention with purchasing data.
Resources
There are no inspirational resources available yet. Has your hospital already implemented this intervention and would you like to share your experience? Please contact the Together for greener healthcare programme.
Footnotes
- Dutch Federation of University Medical Centers. (June 2024). National inventory of UMCs medical disposables.
- In the project “B.E.S.T. bottle: Baby-safe & Ecofriendly? “Studying impacts and Testing for quality” at the Amsterdam UMC is currently investigating which material is best for a reusable baby bottle.
Resultaten
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View our other interventions
Nursing practice
Replacing IV lines every seven days
IV lines, the part of the infusion system that remains outside the body and connects to the intravenous catheter, are currently replaced every four days to prevent infections. Research shows that replacing IV systems every seven days does not increase the risk of infection. This saves materials and time for nurses.
Nursing practice
Wound care irrigation with tapwater
For acute wounds (traumatic or surgical), irrigation using a female catheter filled with lukewarm tap water is recommended instead of NaCl 0.9%. This increases patient comfort and reduces material use, as a new sterile NaCl 0.9% bottle or sterile collection tray is no longer needed every 24 hours.
General resources
Reducing glove use
Nurses use large quantities of non-sterile gloves during patient care. There are three situations where gloves are required: 1) when caring for patients in isolation 2) when there is a risk of contact with mucous membranes or bodily fluids 3) when preparing certain medications. Wearing gloves as a standard practice is not recommended1. Due to the high consumption rates in hospitals, gloves have a considerable environmental impact2.
Nursing practice
Using the same infusion sets on every ward
When hospital departments use different IV systems, IV lines may need to be replaced when a patient is transferred because the systems are not compatible. This leads to unnecessary waste, takes additional time, and can cause discomfort for the patient. A single, standardised IV system prevents this.
