Written by Lucy Peters,
Environmental sustainability is no longer just a buzzword in health and social care settings. Reducing the carbon footprint of clinics, hospitals, and hospices has become a vital priority, as the healthcare sector accounts for around 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Medicines, equipment, packaging, and services used in everyday care account for a large share of healthcare’s carbon footprint. For nurses, social workers, and counselors, these issues can affect their patients and the environment in very real ways. Climate change measurably affects respiratory illness, heat-related harm, food insecurity, displacement, and mental health. Even providing patient care can contribute to the problem through energy use, waste, travel, and supply chains. However, many professionals are ready and willing to act, and they are well positioned to do so because their daily decisions affect energy and other resource use. By making small, consistent changes instead of aiming for perfection, they can protect their patients and protect the environment for generations to come.
Why Green Practices Matter in Clinical Settings
The environmental footprint of healthcare and community services can be significant, ranging from single-use plastics to water use. Research from Practice Greenhealth, a leading healthcare sustainability nonprofit, found that hospitals produce over five million tons of waste every year, or about 29 pounds per staffed bed per day. Research shows that operating rooms are epicenters of healthcare waste. These spaces generate up to 33% of a hospital’s total waste while accounting for up to 60% of its supply budget. A single procedure can fill several bags before a patient leaves the OR. The World Health Organization notes that about 85% of healthcare waste is classified as “ordinary,” or non-hazardous. This waste includes paper, packaging, food scraps, and plastics. Two additional sources of emissions are healthcare-related travel (including home visits, meetings, and training sessions) and water use. Statistics show, for instance, that most U.S. hospitals using an average of 570 gallons of water per staffed bed per day.
The Problem with Single-Use Plastic
A 2026 study by Nathalia Silva de Souza Lima Cano and colleagues quantified single-use plastic consumption across five U.S. healthcare facilities, finding annual amounts ranging from 20.2 tonnes at a surgical center to 711.5 tonnes at a large hospital with 1,400 beds. Two materials are of particular concern: polyisoprene, a synthetic rubber, and polypropylene (PP), which is used in rigid plastics and nonwoven fabrics. High-consumption products include personal protective equipment (PPE), sterilization wraps (or blue wrap), and fluid collection systems. The researchers concluded that redesigning product weight and items such as glove dispensers could reduce polymer use. Moreover, replacing fossil-based materials with bio-based alternatives in select applications could reduce the global warming potential of some materials by 16.3% without requiring changes to existing production lines.
Energy Use in Healthcare Settings
Energy is another major contributor to climate change. U.S. hospitals use an average of 738.5 kWh/m² annually, which is about 2.6 times more energy than typical commercial buildings. Hospitals represent roughly 4% of commercial floor space but consume about 9% of all U.S. commercial building energy, with heating, cooling, and ventilation accounting for 72% of that demand. To cut energy use and emissions, more healthcare centres are adopting renewable energy. Hospitals are incredibly energy-dense, and they run 24/7. Therefore, the shift to greener operations relies on all-electric facility designs, on-site solar microgrids, and green power purchase agreements (PPAs). Healthcare isn’t the only sector making this transition. A wide array of energy-intensive industries is lowering energy costs while significantly reducing their carbon footprints. The savviest of these businesses are meeting a large percentage of their energy needs and generating surplus energy they can export to the grid. Healthcare facilities can adopt a similar strategy, using renewables and microgrids to lower energy costs, reduce emissions, and supply energy back to the wider network.
Key Responsibilities for Battling Climate Change
The studies and statistics above show that many of the most significant sources of waste require intervention from healthcare organizations and governments. Healthcare groups can adopt key strategies such as reducing reliance on single-use plastics, cutting water waste, and investing in solar and other renewable energy sources. Governments, meanwhile, can help by offering modernization grants to hospitals and clinics and mandating national renovation plans for poor-performing hospitals and clinics. They can also offer tax incentives, support restructuring healthcare delivery, and encourage green suppliers for everything from medical devices to pharmaceuticals.
Nurses, Social Workers, and Counselors Also Play a Decisive Role in a Greener Future
Nurses, social workers, and counselors can also do their share through their everyday choices and behaviors. For instance, they can maintain equipment properly to extend its lifespan and keep it running efficiently. Energy-saving habits, such as switching off lights, computers, printers, and chargers when not in use, can reduce unnecessary energy consumption. Equally important is reporting energy waste, faulty equipment, excessive heating or cooling, and opportunities to improve efficiency. Professionals can advocate for useful changes such as adopting energy-efficient lighting, using long-lasting equipment, and relying on renewable energy. They can raise sustainability issues at team meetings, support green champions in their organizations, and encourage their managers to seek funding for sustainability initiatives. They can also lead by example and encourage others (both colleagues and patients) to adopt sustainable behaviors. Transport is another important area for action. Professionals can use lower-emission commuting options, coordinate home visits across care teams to avoid multiple separate journeys to the same location, and choose lower-emission options for meetings and training. They can also advocate for greener transport policies.
Specific Actions to Take
Each professional can contribute to healthcare sustainability. For instance, nurses can avoid unnecessary disposable supplies, choose reusable alternatives when infection-control protocols allow, and ensure waste is correctly segregated. They can also help educate patients, encourage responsible medication use, and reduce unnecessary repeat procedures. Social workers, meanwhile, can connect vulnerable patients with local support services, help them access community-based care, and advocate for services that reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and reliance on resource-intensive settings. When appropriate, they can support telehealth consultations to reduce travel-related emissions while improving access for people with mobility difficulties or limited transportation options. Counselors can also offer remote sessions when appropriate, use digital resources instead of printed materials, recognize how environmental stressors affect psychological well-being, and advocate for green spaces and sustainable practices in their clinics. All three professions can involve staff in sustainability committees, contribute to environmental audits, and help identify practical changes that can improve energy use and reduce waste.
Hospitals and clinics have a significant carbon footprint that needs to be reduced. Governing bodies and state and federal governments bear most of the responsibility, since many measures (including renewable energy) must be implemented at the organizational level. However, nurses, social workers, and counselors can all contribute to sustainability goals in their daily lives. Advocacy, green practices, and a reduced transport footprint can significantly reduce waste and pollution.
Author bio
Lucy is a freelance writer who enjoys contributing to a range of publications, both in print and online. She spent almost a decade working in the care sector with vulnerable people before taking a step back to start a family and now focuses on her first love of writing.
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