Approaches for greening endoscopy and reducing waste

Climate change represents a global crisis and a major menace to the future of the environment and humanity. Notably, the healthcare sector is responsible for 4.4% of the global carbon footprint.1 Nonetheless, direct and indirect emissions from healthcare facilities contribute far less compared with healthcare supply chains (71%). Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is ranked third among the highest medical waste producers within a hospital. This is related to the fact that endoscopy is a resource-intensive activity that requires various single-use, plastic predominant consumables. However, the environmental impact of GI endoscopy is yet to be adequately addressed, as we currently still face a lack of interest from most stakeholders. The fact that endoscopy has a significant impact on the global carbon footprint leads to the question: What can we do to turn GI endoscopy into a more sustainable practice?