Healthcare is evolving to address climate change, with innovative adaptations emerging across various sectors. This article presents key developments in sustainable healthcare practices, drawing on insights from experts in the field. From eco-friendly operating rooms to telemedicine reducing emissions, these advancements showcase the industry’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
- Hospitals Implement Closed-Loop Plastic Recycling Systems
- Climate-Smart Health Products Enhance Resilience
- Anesthesiologists Lead Shift to Eco-Friendly Practices
- Telehealth Reduces Carbon Footprint in Primary Care
- Mental Health Adapts to Address Eco-Anxiety
- Coordinated Care Minimizes Patient Travel Emissions
- IVF Labs Embrace Energy-Efficient Equipment
- Green Operating Rooms Target Waste Reduction
- Telemedicine Expands Access While Cutting Emissions
- Biometric Monitoring Protects Healthcare Workers
- Animal-Free Products Reduce Research Carbon Footprint
Hospitals Implement Closed-Loop Plastic Recycling Systems
One area where the healthcare industry has stepped up in response to climate change is tackling the massive volume of plastic waste it generates. Hospitals rely heavily on single-use plastics — like IV bags, surgical wrap, and packaging—for infection control, but most of this ends up in landfills or is incinerated. One approach that deserves more attention is closed-loop recycling systems within hospital settings. For example, Kaiser Permanente and Cleveland Clinic piloted a plastics recycling program that focused on clean, non-hazardous materials like blue wrap, demonstrating that it’s possible to integrate recycling into daily operations without disrupting care.
Another strong case is Lehigh Valley Health Network’s collaboration with B. Braun and PureCycle Technologies, where they collected over 18,000 pounds of recyclable polypropylene plastics like IV bags in just eight months. These programs prove that recycling in clinical environments is feasible — it just needs the right infrastructure and buy-in. The newer idea of on-site chemical recycling and microwave-assisted sterilization is particularly interesting, such as the approach used at University Medical Center Utrecht, which turns contaminated plastic into reusable material right inside the hospital. These types of solutions — especially if scaled — could make a significant impact on the industry’s carbon footprint without compromising safety or care quality.
Rohan Desai
Bi Developer, R1 RCM Inc
Climate-Smart Health Products Enhance Resilience
Climate change is a big topic and the healthcare industry isn’t left out. One big move from the hospitals is the use of solar power to cut pollution and keep care going. Health systems are training workers to handle heatwaves and new diseases, while policies aim to protect at-risk communities. But in poorer countries, lack of money and data slows things down, leaving people vulnerable. One exciting idea that isn’t getting enough attention are the climate-smart health products.
These medical tools, like heat-proof vaccines or portable tests are built to work in tough conditions like floods or blackouts. They’re made with eco-friendly materials and supply chains that can handle climate chaos, helping both the planet and people in hard-hit areas. To make this happen, we need more funding, teamwork, and policies that push for these smart tools. Climate-smart products could keep healthcare strong as the world heats up, but they need support to reach the places that need them most.
Austin Anadu
Doctor, AlynMD
Anesthesiologists Lead Shift to Eco-Friendly Practices
As a physician anesthesiologist, I’ve watched the healthcare industry — long known for its carbon footprint — begin to take more serious steps to address climate change. Hospitals generate a significant amount of waste, consume enormous energy, and in certain specialties like anesthesiology, release potent greenhouse gases directly into the atmosphere.
One of the most impactful shifts I’ve seen within anesthesiology is the move away from environmentally harmful inhaled agents like desflurane and nitrous oxide. Desflurane has a global warming potential more than 2,500 times that of carbon dioxide. Some institutions have eliminated its use entirely, while others have restricted it significantly. Similarly, the use of nitrous oxide, which persists in the atmosphere for over a century, has been minimized or avoided, especially during lengthy surgeries. These decisions are clinically safe and environmentally smart — and they’ve shown that small changes in provider habits can lead to large systemic impact.
But the real innovation lies in a mindset shift: looking at what we use every day and asking, “Is there a cleaner alternative?” From single-use plastics to inhalers, IV bags, surgical gowns, and even building materials — there are greener swaps available, and they often come with cost savings or operational benefits.
What deserves more attention is integrating environmental sustainability into clinical decision-making the same way we integrate safety, efficacy, and cost. When clinicians are informed about the environmental impact of their choices — what gases they select, what tools they use, what materials they discard — they can become agents of change within complex systems.
Climate-smart care isn’t just a facilities issue. It’s a clinical responsibility. And in specialties like anesthesiology, we’re proving that sustainable medicine is not only possible — it’s better for our patients, institutions, and planet.
Elisha Peterson MD MEd FAAP FASA
Anesthesiologist and Pain Medicine Physician, Elisha Peterson MD PLLC
Telehealth Reduces Carbon Footprint in Primary Care
Primary-care clinics are only starting their green journey, but a low-tech change that’s catching on is defaulting routine follow-ups to telehealth. Indirectly, every virtual visit eliminates a round-trip drive, which cuts roughly 7 lb (~3 kg) of CO2 per appointment. A suburban family-medicine group in Washington tracked the shift and found that moving just 20% of visits online avoided more than 25 tons of CO2 in a year while freeing up in-office slots for complex cases. It’s a small step, yet it shows how everyday workflow tweaks can chip away at healthcare’s carbon footprint without sacrificing care quality.
Julio Baute
Medical Doctor, Invigor Medical
Mental Health Adapts to Address Eco-Anxiety
As a psychologist, I’ve observed that while climate change is often seen through environmental or policy lenses, the healthcare industry — including mental health — is beginning to recognize its profound psychological impact. Rising eco-anxiety, climate-related trauma from natural disasters, and grief over environmental loss are becoming more prevalent, and the mental health field is adapting in response.
One notable shift has been the integration of “climate-aware therapy.” Mental health professionals are now being trained to recognize the emotional toll of climate change — particularly among young people, frontline workers, and communities directly affected by environmental disasters. This approach validates the psychological distress caused by the climate crisis, rather than pathologizing it, and helps individuals channel their emotions into agency, activism, or community engagement.
An innovative model that deserves more attention is the idea of embedding mental health services directly within climate resilience planning. For instance, some community health initiatives now include psychological first aid in disaster preparedness protocols, ensuring that mental health support is as immediate and integral as physical aid. Similarly, incorporating green spaces into hospital design — not just for environmental reasons but as active components of therapeutic recovery — is gaining ground and is backed by research showing improved outcomes in stress, anxiety, and even physical healing.
The intersection of climate science and psychology is still emerging, but we’re beginning to understand that adapting to climate change isn’t just about infrastructure — it’s also about building emotional resilience. Healthcare systems that invest in climate-informed mental health frameworks will be better equipped to support their communities in an era of growing environmental uncertainty.
Nihit Verma
Consultant Psychologist, Allo Health
Coordinated Care Minimizes Patient Travel Emissions
One of the most overlooked yet deeply impactful ways healthcare is addressing climate change is by rethinking how we handle medical transportation. We observed how the conventional paradigm of multiple specialist visits across town, redundant testing, and uncoordinated care not only took a toll on patients but was also a burden on the environment.
In an effort to address these issues, we implemented a coordination program that combined appointments, held telehealth advocacy sessions when in-person office visits were not necessary, and improved physician communication to minimize patient commutes. This resulted in fewer hospital returns and significantly reduced emissions associated with patient travel.
A greater focus should be placed on patient advocacy as a driver of climate-aware care. Although it’s not the most visible place for organizations to focus when striving toward greater sustainability, it is not to be overlooked: by giving patients the tools and the information they need to act responsibly, to request low-waste treatment options, to choose in-network, local providers, or digital over printed materials, cutting down on waste follows.
In my opinion, if we want to make truly meaningful climate progress in healthcare, we have to stop thinking of sustainability as just a facilities issue. Instead, we should think of it as an opportunity to improve coordination of care.
Jeremy Gurewitz
Co-Founder & CEO, Solace Health
IVF Labs Embrace Energy-Efficient Equipment
As a clinical embryologist working in IVF and reproductive science for over two decades, I’ve come to appreciate not just the miracles of life we help create but also the environmental footprint that comes with it. Fertility labs are energy-intensive spaces. Our incubators, cryostorage systems, and air filtration units run 24/7. The reliance on disposable plastic for sterility and safety is non-negotiable. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t rethink how we operate.
In recent years, I’ve become increasingly conscious of integrating sustainability into lab practices. One of the most impactful changes we’ve implemented is the adoption of energy-efficient lab equipment. Modern incubators and monitoring systems now offer stable conditions with significantly reduced power usage. Over time, these minor improvements collectively contribute to a significantly reduced environmental impact.
We’ve also digitized most of our patient documentation and transitioned a large portion of consultations to virtual platforms. This not only reduces paper usage and travel-related emissions but also improves accessibility for many patients, especially those living in remote areas or abroad.
Another area where I see an opportunity is material waste. While sterility is paramount in IVF, we’ve begun carefully analyzing our workflow to reduce unnecessary disposables without compromising safety. Wherever possible, we opt for sustainable alternatives and are actively exploring vendors offering eco-friendly labware.
One initiative I’m particularly proud of is raising awareness within the clinical community. Many professionals assume sustainability comes at the cost of efficiency or patient care. But I’ve found the opposite to be true. When we streamline our processes with the environment in mind, we often see improved organization, cost savings, and better patient satisfaction.
We must recognize that climate change isn’t a separate issue from healthcare; it’s deeply intertwined. As a fertility professional, I believe it’s our responsibility to safeguard not just our patients’ futures, but the future of the planet their children will inherit.
Goral Gandhi
Ivf Consultant and Embryologist, Global Fertility Clinic
Green Operating Rooms Target Waste Reduction
Health care is essentially making efforts to quantify the damage it has done to the environment, and operating rooms are one key area being focused on. According to statistics, ORs produce as much as 30% of overall hospital waste, as well as being the fiercest energy consumers and anesthetic gas emitters. Green OR is concerned with low-impact anesthetics, reprocessing equipment, and improved HVAC systems to address this. Benefits are immediate — lower emissions, less waste, and cost savings — yet adoption has been limited; it is a precise, high-yield fix that should be standard, not optional.
Dr. Gregory Gasic
Neuroscientist | Scientific Consultant in Physics & Theoretical Biology | Author & Co-Founder, VMeDx
Telemedicine Expands Access While Cutting Emissions
The healthcare business has come a long way and has been making strides toward fighting climate change through more sustainable practices. Quite a few hospitals and clinics are trying to cut their carbon emissions by building low-energy buildings, generating less waste, and sourcing medical supplies sustainably.
Another innovative approach, which I believe has received perhaps a little less attention, and I hope gets some more consideration, is the use of telehealth. By decreasing the demand for physical travel, telehealth not only increases accessibility but can also reduce commute-related emissions. It’s a win-win for both patients and the planet, and I can see making that kind of access available on a much wider scale as having a meaningful impact on sustainability in healthcare.
Christian Caswell
Upper Cervical Chiropractor, Top Chiro
Biometric Monitoring Protects Healthcare Workers
Yes, every year I’ve seen how the healthcare industry around the world has been adapting to address climate change. Solar microgrids and advances in telehealth are the main adaptations I’ve seen, and I think this technology is evolving very quickly.
I think biometric monitoring is a great tool that has not been taken seriously in many places and deserves to be investigated — and of course funded. Just as athletes need constant monitoring, physicians who work in high-impact areas with extreme weather conditions can suffer from heat stroke, and this type of device would be especially helpful to prevent that from happening.
Maybell Nieves
Surgical Oncologist, AlynMD
Animal-Free Products Reduce Research Carbon Footprint
Coming from a life sciences background, I’ve seen the industry begin to take steps toward sustainability. While single-use plastics are often necessary, one innovative approach gaining attention is the shift toward animal component-free (ACF) products for R&D. For example, using ACF cell culture media in in vitro research is becoming more relevant in drug discovery research. This helps reduce reliance on lab animals like mice and rats, which require energy-intensive housing, feeding, and waste management. It’s a forward-thinking way to lower the carbon footprint of research while supporting ethical, translatable science.
Nasrin Syeda
Application Scientist
