Did you know we can now work out the carbon footprint of a hospital bed?

A study was conducted at the University of Waterloo to determine the environmental impact and specifically, the carbon footprint of a hospital bed.

Researchers studied a hospital in British Columbia and calculated the total yearly footprint was found to be 3500-5000 tons of CO2 equivalent. This meant that one hospital bed was equal to the carbon footprint of approximately five households in Canada.

This novel idea to calculate the carbon footprint of a given hospital, allows us to better understand emissions data for hospitals, which in turn equips administration with the tools to meet sustainable goals.

Alex Cimprich, a postdoctoral fellow in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development stated: “In our work, we often find that the biggest environmental footprints are where you least expect them to be. As the adage goes: out of sight, out of mind… The goal is to make hidden environmental footprints more visible so that we can start to manage them.” He further stated that “The results suggest that hospital sustainability initiatives need to look further to achieve deeper emissions reductions.”

The methodology used by the researchers determined thousands of products used by hospitals, and then combined this with statistical sampling in order to calculate the carbon intensity - CO2 equivalent per dollar spent. This then provides a different approach when compared with usual methods used for estimating which generally provide rough estimates.

Further research may aim to highlight areas of concern for hospitals, and to allow the health sector to better address its environmental commitments.

*This image is the proprietary interest of Carbon LCA Certified©️.

Sources:

Green Queen: https://uwaterloo.ca/news/media/what-carbon-footprint-hospital-bed