Sustainability has been a major topic of discussion around the world, especially following Net Zero Week last month. From businesses to individuals, many people are beginning to play their part in the journey to a net-zero future, but what role is the NHS taking?
In general, the clothing industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions annually (Dottle and Gu, 2022), so it would be remiss to analyse the carbon footprint of the NHS without looking at the contribution of its uniforms.
What's the current landscape?
Many factors contribute to the carbon emissions of the NHS – which produces 4-5% of the UK's total carbon emissions (NHS, 2020 – from its day-to-day processes to the environmental impact of manufacturing staff uniforms. This has prompted the British Medical Association to pledge to be more sustainable and reduce service emissions, to help safeguard the health and wellbeing of those in the UK. It has vowed to ‘help drive the discourse towards a greener and healthier UK’, stating ‘the sooner we as a society achieve net zero, the better it is for health’.
When it comes to healthcare uniforms, and specifically the nursing uniform, there is currently no official NHS guidance on sustainable practices such as recycling. It is mostly down to individual NHS trusts to implement and manage their own sustainable practices and, while it is positive to see many across the UK engaging in this, there is still a need for more industry-wide guidance on how we can take a more environmentally friendly approach to healthcare uniforms.
What are the solutions?
Global uniform supplier Dimensions has been working with NHS Scotland to help it achieve net zero by 2040 with a number of uniform projects.
One of the most successful initiatives was reducing garment packaging by offering twin packs instead of single packs, thus reducing plastic usage by 50%. With plastic being a major driver of carbon emissions, contributing to 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, this simple yet effective solution has already had a significant impact on NHS Scotland's environmental footprint (Laidler, 2022). The initiative has saved the equivalent of over 55 000 500 ml plastic bottles.
Commenting on the conception of this sustainable collaboration, Jane Hopton, NHS Lothian sustainability lead, said: ‘This initiative was prompted by one of NHS Lothian sewing room supervisors who noticed the waste and asked the question about why items were in single packs. It's a great illustration of how NHS staff can support a greener NHS by … spotting the opportunities for change. Starting on the pathway of reducing the plastic packaging of NHS uniforms is a positive step for NHS Scotland and its climate emergency commitments.’
Paul Hornby, NHS Scotland's head of strategic sourcing and commercial, added: ‘NHS Scotland is prioritising all activities to reduce our environmental impact and meet the net zero target by 2040 and we really need our many suppliers to help and support us on this journey.’
This initiative has and will continue to benefit both the business and the environment. It is a great example of how such a simple solution can have such a positive impact on sustainability – and something that the rest of the industry can draw inspiration from.
‘While the roll-out of sustainable materials in the NHS is not rapid, working closely with suppliers is a key step’
Beyond the packaging: can the future be even more sustainable?
The future of uniforms across all sectors globally is looking greener, and procurement of sustainable materials and processes is quickly becoming the norm. There is no doubt that nursing uniforms will be quick to follow.
A key example of this is the recent demand for Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) cotton. BCI is a non-profit organisation that seeks to make the cotton industry more sustainable through reducing waste, fertilisers and pesticides, and by training farmers to use less water. It now comprises 20% of all global cotton production.
Additionally, the use of recycled polyester (rPET) is growing in the garment industry. Not only is rPET competitively priced, but it also has a lower environmental impact than virgin polyester, and its manufacture uses less energy and has a smaller carbon footprint, in addition to preventing polyester from going into landfills.
While the roll-out of sustainable materials in the NHS is not rapid, working closely with suppliers is a key step in helping to innovate the environmental value of uniforms with the use of materials such as BCI cotton and rPET.
Where do we go from here?
Overall, the industry is heading in the right direction, with sustainability being brought to the forefront of the agenda. Initiatives such as changing garment materials or reducing packaging will help to reach the goal of a net-zero NHS.