GreenED Opportunities

There are many opportunities to make a difference to sustainability in the Emergency Department. From small personal choices to taking the lead on system-wide change there is a wide range of possibilities which will help the patients, the staff, the department and, of course, the environment.

Please let us know if you have any ideas for change or if you would like to help with any of our current projects. We are working towards the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Bronze GreenED Bronze Award and need help with the following;

These can done as a QIP or simply through advocacy, depending on what suits you and any requirements you might have for your portfolio or CV. Please contact Toby Bateson using the form on our main GreenED page if you would like to join in. We will support you and help you make it happen.

For The Bronze RCEM GreenED Award

Set up and run a social media group for staff and patients to communicate sustainability ideas.
Reduction of computer electricity use. We can reduce screen brightness and shorten time before standby to save electricity and reduce carbon emissions. Other units have done this and find it also reduces eye strain without impacting usability.

Recycling. We need bins and advocates to support recycling efforts.
Equipment and lighting off when not in use.
Review of discharge medications to eliminate excessive dispensing.
Reduction in ordering biochemical tests with a focus on the held coag samples.
Other things we can do;

Ambulance hook ups; we can encourage the use of these as they are not always used when they could be.
Paper bloods forms. We use a lot of time, paper and money when printing and sending these; other units request bloods electronically.
Gloves. Our current gloves are wasteful; we can switch to a variety which are packaged more intelligently so only a single glove is dispensed at a time. This saves them ending up on the floor and then in the dustbin.
Plastic water bottles. These are excellent for hydrating patients but unfortunately are not good for the environment. We need a better alternative.