Written by Anouk De Plaa – Team Member, HBCL
Hospitals are vital in our society, especially as the population in many western countries is ageing, and more people will need medical help. The idea for this article came to me as I am currently inside a clinic, not because I am ill, but because I am taking part in a clinical trial to test a new type of medicine.
One of the first things I noticed inside the clinic was the sheer amounts of plastic and other wrapping materials included in everything, not only the medical part of the study but also at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When I asked the staff about recycling or sustainability, they confirmed there was no recycling and were unaware of any sustainability initiatives.
I find this shocking, as nowadays, I expect at least a minimal level of environmental effort from institutes such as this. I understand that medical equipment needs to stay sterile, and much of it is single-use only, but even so, the materials used for wrapping could be put in a recycling bin. Of course, replacing the wrappers with biodegradable alternatives would be even better.
When it comes to the food, I would like to understand why it needs to be individually wrapped with no attempt to recycle it. For dinner, everyone gets a standard-sized portion. This serving is usually too large for an average person, leading to much food waste. The standard here is meat, and vegan options are non-existent. The food is quite fatty and salty, with very few vegetables and either a lot of meat or meat replacements. Healthy food should be essential for the well-being of people staying in the hospital. Offering vegetarian or vegan as the standard meal with many vegetables, making meat something that needs to be specifically requested, will make meals much more sustainable and healthier.
Healthcare is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when we think about making our society more climate-friendly and sustainable. However, now I have seen that, at least in the Netherlands, it is an institution that is contributing to the problem. Currently, no or very few steps are being taken to reduce or remove these issues.
It is challenging to try to make a difference in large institutions like this, but I will address the issue with the clinic staff and send an email with my observations to the general office. When researching the issue further, I found a government website that refers to future-proofing hospitals and the ideas that are in place. So, I hope that action will be taken to make sure a change will come about soon, as many adaptations can be made to improve the situation.
