With the health crisis, the surgical mask made its appearance in the daily life of the French, and came to inflate the weight of their trash cans or to soil the sidewalks of the streets. An object consumed for decades by tens of kilos in the operating theaters of the
Toulouse University Hospital, just like charlottes, compresses, scalpels and other ampoules of medicine. And which were not until now valued.
What make some members of the medical profession dizzy who have decided to reduce the tonnage of waste that goes to incineration. “Between a patient entering and leaving the hospital for surgery, it generates as much waste as four people in a week. Every year,
healthcare establishments produce 11% of tertiary sector waste, ”recalls Charlotte Martin, anesthetist-resuscitator at Purpan hospital. A way to put into perspective the issue that may have a reduction in the products consumed or a change in their treatment on the scale of the Pink City.
1.2 tonnes of recycled waste per month
It therefore decided to launch the “green bloc” operation by initially targeting the operating theaters of Pierre-Paul Riquet, pilot since last year in this system. With the first objective of reducing the level of waste from healthcare activities at risk of infection (Dasri). A lot of waste similar to household waste went in fact in these specific bins of the CHU. However, the fact of not being able to compact them had an impact on the cost of their treatment, but also on the planet. “We go from single to double, a ton of waste comparable to household waste, it is the equivalent of 360 kg of CO2 emissions, against 965 kg for the Dasri”, notes Charlotte Martin, coordinator of the “team green” .
Since its deployment, extended in particular to the operating theaters in Rangueil, ten tonnes of Dasri less each month have been produced. At the same time, new bins have emerged in operating theaters, with the orientation of plastic containers or even metal objects towards specific recovery channels. “We thus revalue 1.2 tonnes of waste per month, which are reprocessed, recycled and reused, this is the case for 40 kg of metals. In May, we launched the sorting of paper and packaging in the departments and we are at 400 kg per month ”, continues this head of the emergency unit at the Toulouse University Hospital.
A change that has already reduced the hospital’s CO2 impact by 180 tonnes since January compared to the same period last year. These new measures required a period of adaptation of the teams and a change in practices to avoid overconsumption of the products whereas it is the characteristic of an operating room where the standards of hygiene must be to the maximum and the single use. Rule. A study has shown that in one week, 30 kg of waste could be avoided if the equipment was not over-prepared before each operation or if the disposable was reduced. Even if consumable tools, less environmentally friendly, are sometimes less expensive than reusable ones.
10,000 euros savings per month
But there is also a perverse effect of reducing waste at the source: the fewer tonnes to be treated in specialized centers, the more expensive their treatment by weight. This was observed by the Toulouse University Hospital during the renewal of its contract with the delegatee last April. “Despite this, thanks to the work of members of the services, overall we were able to save 10,000 euros per month,” says Charlotte Martin.
With the other CHU employees engaged in this “greener” approach, it will tackle water consumption by reducing the flow of the sinks at the entrance to the blocks. Then to the consumption of electricity thanks to the replacement of bulbs by LEDs by the end of the year, or even downright presence detectors in the less used areas. And even the reduction of anesthetic gases to put patients to sleep, a real source of greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming.