Sustainability Working Group member Tim Mair discusses why we should all reconsider our use of plastics....
There is growing recognition of the significant environmental impact of healthcare which is estimated to contribute around 5% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. Typically, the focus of healthcare has been “patient first”, with the “environment second”, but these two areas are inextricably linked. Although the veterinary profession represents only a small fraction of the total healthcare industry, it is incumbent on us all to consider ways of reducing our negative impact on the environment and the climate. One area of major concern relates to our excessive use of plastic packaging and consumable equipment in our everyday work.
Plastics are synthetic materials made of polymers that are low cost, malleable, sterilisable and extremely versatile. Examples commonly used in healthcare situations include polyethylene packaging, polypropylene disposable syringes, polyvinyl chloride fluid bags, and acrynonitrile butadiene styrine masks. One-time plastic use has become embedded into healthcare behaviour, often associated with sterility and concerns about infection control. In 2023 across Europe and North America it is estimated that there was a total systems emission of 9.3 million tonnes of CO2e just from single-use healthcare plastics. Reports also suggest that less than 10% of the plastic healthcare waste is recycled.
There are over 13,000 monomers of plastics, and more than 3,000 of them are of concern to human health according to the United Nations Environmental Programme. Microplastics vary in size from 1 um and 5mm. Microplastics and nanoplastics gain entry to the human body by various ways (such as food and water) in addition to direct medical intervention. They can also enter the body through air pollution, and it is estimated that we inhale up to 68,000 plastic particles daily, and that the average human body contains 7 grams of microplastics, which accumulate throughout the body (including crossing placenta and the blood-brain barrier), where they can influence physiological functions. With an estimated population of 69.3 million people in the UK, we are likely to be carrying a combined weight of over 485kg of microplastics.
It is therefore vital that we recognise the environmental- and health-related impacts of the plastics that we have become accustomed to use and rely on, and to explore ways to reduce their use in our work.