By Holly Slyne
I was delighted to take part in a recent joint webinar between the Infection Prevention Society and ACIPC (Australian College for Infection Prevention and Control), facilitated by ACIPC IPC Consultant Karen McKenna. The event explored the increasingly important intersection of sustainability and infection prevention and control (IPC), a topic that can feel challenging, or even contradictory at times.
The webinar featured three engaging presentations:
1. Leaning on sustainability and IPC: a contradiction? – Graham Pike
Graham set the scene by summarising the challenges and opportunities experienced when leading on both IPC and sustainability. He shared examples of initiatives where environmental considerations were embedded into IPC practice, highlighting how sustainability can complement, rather than conflict with, infection prevention goals.
2. Going greener at a small district general hospital in the UK – Holly Slyne
I shared some of the projects our IPC team has led to embed sustainability into healthcare delivery. These included:
- Be PPE Free initiative – promoting hand hygiene and reducing unnecessary PPE use through visual tools and short educational videos, with benefits for patient safety, cost, and carbon footprint.
- Urinary catheter prevention and continence improvement projects – preventing precursor infections that could lead to bloodstream infections or C. difficile, while reducing environmental impact.
- Reusable solutions – such as theatre hats and sharps bins, demonstrating that reusing items safely can reduce waste without compromising safety.
- Innovative product evaluations – including UV-C decontamination of semi-critical reusable devices, washer disinfectors replacing single-use products, and hypochlorous acid hand sanitiser effective against C. difficile and Norovirus.
These projects show that sustainability and IPC can go hand in hand, delivering environmental, clinical, and financial benefits.
3. Rethinking Clinical Waste – Susan Whyte & Carla DeMarco, Royal Melbourne Hospital
At RMH, over-classifying waste as clinical had created unnecessary costs and environmental impact. By conducting risk assessments, audits, and benchmarking against other hospitals, the team found safe opportunities to shift eligible items to general waste without increasing infection risk. With clinical waste costing £3.50/kg (twelve times more than general waste) this change represented substantial financial and carbon‑reduction benefits. Success relied on clear policy, staff education, audits, and strong stakeholder engagement.
Key Takeaways
The webinar reinforced a crucial message: sustainable change in healthcare is essential, and IPC professionals are central to making it happen. By combining evidence-based practice with innovative thinking, we can protect both patients and the planet, while promoting safer, more efficient healthcare.
I’m grateful to all the speakers, our facilitator, and attendees for contributing to a thoughtful and inspiring discussion. This conversation is only just beginning, and I look forward to continuing to explore how IPC can drive sustainability in healthcare.
